Trump plans to focus on improving safety in Chicago, while also securing $2 billion for beautification projects in Washington D.C.

President Donald Trump has expressed his intention to address crime in Chicago, a Democrat-led city, following his efforts in Washington D.C. Trump claimed he has discussed the matter with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, focusing on a 3-mile radius around the White House and Capitol.

In Washington D.C., crime levels have decreased significantly, down 26% since 2024, according to crime stats released by the Metropolitan Police Department. This marks a 30-year low. However, Trump has been critical of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's handling of public safety, claiming she hasn't taken her responsibilities seriously.

Similarly, Chicago's crime statistics show a decline. Overall crime is down 13% year to date compared to the same period in 2024, with 59,206 reported crime instances compared to 68,165 the year before. Murders and robberies have seen a drop of 50% and 11%, respectively, since 2021, according to the Chicago PD data.

Despite these improvements, Trump maintains that crime in Chicago is out of control and that the current Democratic leadership isn't doing enough to address the problem. He has pointed to Washington, D.C., as a model, citing his deployment of the National Guard, surging federal law enforcement, and taking control of the local police force.

However, Trump has not taken any concrete steps to increase police presence in Chicago. He has warned that he will "go ahead" and "straighten out" Chicago, but city officials have rejected his plans and reported no official communication from the White House about military deployment there.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has released a statement expressing concerns about any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. He stated that it could inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement and threaten historic progress. Mayor Johnson's office did not immediately return requests for comment.

Trump has also mentioned plans to help New York afterward, but city officials have not reported any official communication from the White House about military deployment there either.

In a recent news conference about World Cup plans, Trump praised the National Guard's work in Washington, D.C., stating they have done an incredible job working with the police. Trump also claimed that African American ladies in Chicago are allegedly asking for his help.

Trump has also announced that he would be requesting $2 billion from Congress for D.C. to be "beautified." However, he did not give any timetable as to when he would end the deployment of the National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. or when he would start his plans for Chicago.

Mayor Bowser, on the other hand, stated that crime has gone down in their city and it has gone down precipitously over the last two years because of a lot of hard work, changes to their public safety ecosystem, including changes to the law. She criticized Trump's use of the Guard as an "armed militia in the Nation's Capital."

The New York Police Department's crime data shows that overall crime is down 4.74% this year compared to last year, with 74,764 reported incidents year to date in 2025 versus 78,488 reported incidents during the same period in 2024. This suggests that Trump's approach may not be necessary in every city, as crime rates can improve organically.