This Sunday, August 24, US President Donald Trump threatened Maryland Governor Wes Moore with sending National Guard troops to Baltimore , citing the state’s high crime rate. Trump used this argument to expand the federal deployment to other Democratic-led cities like Washington.

In a social media post, Trump criticized Maryland Governor Wes Moore after the governor invited him to visit Baltimore to discuss public safety. Trump hinted at sending troops : “If Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newsom in Los Angeles, I will send the troops, like they’re already doing in Washington, D.C., and quickly stamp out crime,” he boasted, while accusing Democratic-led states of falsifying their crime figures.

Moore dismissed Trump’s comments , accusing him of ignoring Baltimore’s progress. “The president spends his time talking about me. I spend my time talking about the people I serve ,” he said on CBS 's “Face the Nation .”

Trump responded by accusing Moore of manipulating crime statistics , calling his record very poor. This exchange reflects the president’s strategy of singling out Democratic governors and mayors as part of his law-and-order campaign, which has been based on cracking down on any demonstrations contrary to his policies .

Repression and military deployment as an anti-political strategy

Trump has already deployed thousands of National Guard and federal troops to Washington, D.C., and suggested that Chicago and New York will be the next cities to see similar operations , citing growing concerns about crime and urban disorder.

The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon has prepared for possible deployments to Chicago , which could include not only National Guard units but also active-duty forces . Trump confirmed this approach, telling reporters on Friday, " I think Chicago will be our next destination. And then we’ll help with New York ."

Trump’s threats have drawn criticism from civil rights leaders , who argue that his approach unfairly disadvantages cities led by POC mayors . Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Governor Moore are POC, as are the mayors of Washington and New York.

For his part, Reverend Al Sharpton denounced the operations during a Sunday event at Howard University, stating: “This is about profiling us. This is steeped in intolerance and racism .” He called the deployments a civil rights issue , linking them to the broader debate over Washington, D.C., statehood .