The National Guard has been deployed by President Trump to Washington, D.C. and Memphis, Tennessee as part of the crackdown on crime in American cities.
President Trump’s administration has taken a stance that is tough on crime, including illegal immigration and trafficking of illicit drugs. As part of the president’s effort to curb violent crime in American cities, he deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C. and, more recently, to Memphis, Tennessee.
In a recent interview, Democratic Senator John Fetterman said the potential intervention would be welcome if he were mayor of a city experiencing heightened crime.
“When 600 people are killed in Chicago, you know, every year, I think it’s entirely appropriate. If I was mayor and I had a significant kind of violence situation, I would be happy to get help, honestly, for that,” the senator said in the interview.
Fetterman explained that he was not fazed by the presence of the National Guard in his neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
“It honestly wasn’t a big deal. It’s really not like an occupied city or anything,” he said.
“Just because… if Trump is calling for something X, Y and Z, then that doesn’t mean we have to necessarily oppose that,” he added.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is in disagreement with Fetterman on the matter.
“I think what the president’s doing is wrong. I think what the president’s doing injects chaos in communities,” said the governor at a recent event in Philadelphia.
“Ever since the president made what I think is a wrong-headed decision to take the guard away from the governor and put them on the streets of Los Angeles, we have been preparing for such a thing to happen here in Philadelphia,” he added.
“Our teams are prepared for whatever the White House may try and send our way,” Shapiro said.
In Los Angeles, President Trump deployed the National Guard to combat violent protests against immigration enforcement. A federal judge ruled the action illegal earlier this month.
Shapiro’s administration reported that gun violence in the Commonwealth has decreased by 42% since the governor took office. Between 2020 and 2024, Philadelphia officials reported a 46% decrease in gun homicides.
