WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democrat mayors in major US cities have stood firm in refusing federal help from President Donald Trump, even as violent crime rises in many of their communities.
Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Baltimore, all managed by long-standing progressive city governments, continue to report high rates of murder, gang activity, and public safety issues. Some critics say these leaders would rather stick to their political positions than accept support from the Trump administration, risking further unrest.
In response, President Trump sent the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, making it clear that the federal government plans to take action on crime where local authorities appear unable to reverse dangerous trends.
Reports from police departments highlight ongoing problems. Washington, D.C., saw 274 homicides in 2023, the highest number in twenty years. Although killings dropped to 187 in 2024, that still left the city far from safe. By August 2025, 99 murders had already occurred.
Baltimore had 262 homicides in 2023, then 231 in 2024, but it remains among the most dangerous cities nationwide. Los Angeles, led by Mayor Karen Bass, faced 349 murders in 2023. Robberies and assaults continue to cause concern, even as officials note small improvements.
Blue States Struggling with Violence
The pattern repeats across blue states. FBI crime data shows that states such as California, Maryland, and Illinois struggle with violence in their cities, despite Democratic leadership at the state level.
California’s violent crime rate reached 499 per 100,000 people in 2023, while Maryland reported an even steeper 541 per 100,000, much of it concentrated in Baltimore. Some observers blame changes like cashless bail, shorter sentences, and decreased funding for police. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams says shootings and murders have declined, but a recent mass shooting in Midtown underscores lingering danger.
President Trump responded with strong measures. On 11 August 2025, he ordered the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., to be placed under federal control, with Attorney General Pam Bondi overseeing operations.
He also sent 800 National Guard troops to the city, citing a spike in crime and using Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to back his decision. Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back, calling the situation both “unsettling and unprecedented,” and arguing that crime is at a thirty-year low.
However, city figures show persistent issues, with some neighbourhoods needing youth curfews to limit late-night violence.
Los Angeles has also pushed back against federal action. Mayor Karen Bass rejected Trump’s offer of assistance, especially after immigration raids and the arrival of 2,000 California National Guard units.
Trump Slammed by Democrats
Governor Gavin Newsom also criticized the federal actions, claiming Trump is turning cities into militarized zones. In Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott called Trump’s threat of intervention a political distraction.
Scott pointed to a 28 percent drop in homicides in 2025 and claimed Baltimore is “the safest it’s been in over fifty years.” Yet, the city’s murder rate remains among the worst in America, around 40 per 100,000 residents.
Other Democratic mayors have responded similarly. Brandon Johnson in Chicago and Barbara Lee in Oakland have both pledged to stop federal involvement, with Lee saying her city would not stand for military forces on its streets.
These city leaders say progress is happening, citing an FBI report showing national violent crime fell by 4.5 percent in 2024. Still, many critics say this improvement hides big problems in certain areas and does not match what residents experience.
Many blame recent policies for the troubles. Moves toward cashless bail in places like New York and Chicago let people accused of non-violent crimes avoid paying bail, which critics link to more repeat offences.
In Washington, D.C., the Pretrial Services Agency reported that 89 percent of pretrial releases in 2024 did not result in rearrest, yet several well-publicized violent crimes have aggravated public concerns. Trump continues to call cashless bail a “disaster,” claiming it allows dangerous people out, a message that finds support among those worried about public safety.
Efforts to cut police budgets have also faced scrutiny. In 2020, New York’s former mayor, Bill de Blasio, reduced the NYPD budget by $1 billion and later said the plan was poorly explained to the public.
Los Angeles and Chicago also diverted money from their police departments to social programmes and saw more crime during the pandemic. Many of these cities restored police funding after backlash, but early cuts left police departments stretched thin.
