House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) indicated that a new crime bill is “a very real possibility” after President Donald Trump announced he is working with GOP lawmakers to craft legislation to crack down on crime.
During an appearance on Fox News, Johnson was asked about the proposed bill. “It is a very real possibility,” Johnson replied. “We cannot allow crime to destroy our great American cities, and it begins with the nation’s capital. We—we have to end the crime wave. We have to clean up the city. We’ve got to make it beautiful again, because we are the shining city on a hill, and our capital should reflect that.”
Johnson confirmed that House Republicans are working with the president and that they will look at crime in Washington, DC first. “We're going to be bringing legislation to the floor in the next few weeks to address that issue first—that city—to deal with juvenile crime in the way that that’s been, and to talk about these restrictive policing policies that have prevented law enforcement from maintaining the safety on the streets for residents and visitors.”
Johnson further stated that Republicans would pass a bill to allocate more funding to keep the National Guard active in the District.
“Listen, I’m all for it. I told the president—and yesterday morning we talked about this—and I said we will give you the resources and the authority necessary to complete this job because it is wildly popular,” Johnson explained. “You’ve seen the Democrat mayor of D.C. came out and said thank you for the reinforcements. We have to bring law and order back. We’re the party, he’s the president to do it, and we’re gonna show that to the people.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson says a new crime bill is "a very real possibility."
— Hotep Jeffiziah Charles🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) August 29, 2025
"We cannot allow crime to destroy our great American cities." pic.twitter.com/VgCEYJ6eQK
Trump made the announcement about a new crime bill earlier this week in a post on Truth Social. Before that, he told reporters that “we’re going to need a crime bill” because Democrats are not doing enough to curb crime in major cities.
🚨 BREAKING - CHICAGO IS NEXT: It's official, President Trump will SURGE federal resources and/or National Guard to the blue crime-infested city of CHICAGO after the mission in DC is complete
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 22, 2025
"African American ladies, beautiful ladies, they're saying, PLEASE President Trump,… pic.twitter.com/Wg6TOVlMCI
The White House is also gearing up to begin sending National Guard troops into Chicago, Baltimore, and other cities. Democrats have been pushing back against the idea, saying it is not necessary. They point to declining crime rates nationwide as proof that their policies have been effective.
Still, recent polling shows most Americans are still concerned about heightened crime rates. An AP-NORC poll revealed that 81 percent of Americans agree that crime is a “major issue.” This included 96 percent of Republicans, 68 percent of Democrats, and 72 percent of Independents.