Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday that Republican-led cities are under active consideration for federal troop deployments aimed at curbing violent crime.
The secretary’s remarks came during an interview appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation with Ed O’Keefe who questioned the Trump administration’s focus on troop deployment to Democratic-run cities despite high crime rates in some red states. Noem said that “every single city is evaluated” and denied any political bias in deployment decisions.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has made a crackdown on crime, especially in major cities, a cornerstone policy of his second term. The president’s push on what he characterizes as lawlessness began earlier this month with the declaration of a “crime emergency” in Washington, D.C., and the temporary federal takeover of the city’s police powers.
The scope has now expanded to Democrat-led cities and states, pitting the administration against local officials who view this as unnecessary and an example of executive overreach.
The debate over federal troop deployments has reignited concerns about the politicization of public safety and the potential for selective enforcement. Critics say that the administration’s emphasis on Democratic-led cities overlooks Republican-controlled areas with equal or higher crime rates and undermines local governance and community-based solutions.
Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shows cities like Memphis, Tennessee, Oklahoma City, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have violent crime rates that rival or exceed those in traditionally targeted jurisdictions.
What To Know
According to FBI data from last year that was recently published, Memphis leads the nation in violent crime with 2,501 incidents per 100,000 residents, followed by Detroit and Baltimore. Other Republican-led cities such as Oklahoma City, Baton Rouge, and Birmingham, Alabama, also report elevated crime levels, yet have not been publicly named in federal deployment plans.
On Sunday, Noem emphasized that operational decisions are based on safety assessments, not political affiliation.
“We absolutely are not looking through the viewpoint at anything we’re doing with a political lens,” she said, while declining to provide specifics on upcoming deployments.
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the Trump administration’s approach, stating that if crime suppression were truly nonpartisan, cities in Louisiana and Mississippi would be prioritized for support. At a press conference, the Democratic governor held up a flyer comparing California’s crime rate to Louisiana’s, accusing Trump of “blatant hypocrisy.”
Federal agents and National Guard troops have already been deployed to cities like Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Trump has suggested retaining control in some areas beyond the 30-day limit outlined in the Home Rule Act, citing ongoing criminal activity.
Mayors in targeted cities have voiced concern over the optics and legality of federal intervention. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland Governor Wes Moore extended an invitation to Trump to tour neighborhoods.
O’KEEFE: Are there plans to go to red states and Republican-controlled cities in this kind of way?KRISTI NOEM: Absolutely pic.twitter.com/g7Urd0q5FV
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2025
What People Are Saying
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Face the Nation: “Every single city is evaluated for what we need to do there to make it safer. So, we’ve got operations that, again, I won’t talk about details on, but we absolutely are not looking through the viewpoint at anything we’re doing with a political lens.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom at a press conference last week on the expansion of an existing crime suppression program in California: “If the president is sincere about the issue of crime and violence, there’s no question in my mind that he’ll likely be sending the troops into Louisiana and Mississippi to address the just unconscionable wave of violence that continues to plague those states.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott wrote on X on August 22: “President Trump’s takeover of Washington, DC’s police force makes two things very clear. First: that he will do anything, and sacrifice anyone, to boost his own ego. And second: that he has no real solutions to make our country any safer, healthier, or freer.”
What Happens Next?
The DHS is expected to announce additional troop deployments in the coming weeks.
The post Red State Cities Under Consideration for Troop Deployments: Kristi Noem appeared first on Newsweek.
