Trump proposes sending troops to "straighten out" New Orleans

The big picture: Trump on Wednesday floated the idea of sending the National Guard to New Orleans. It's a pivot from earlier this week, when he seemed prepared to deploy them to Chicago.

• "We're making a determination now," Trump said during an Oval Office meeting. "Do we go to Chicago or do we go to a place like New Orleans where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that's become quite, quite tough, quite bad?"
• He said it would take two weeks to "straighten out" crime in New Orleans. "Easier than D.C.," he added.

The intrigue: A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration illegally instructed the National Guard to perform law enforcement activities during anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles.

• U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer's order only applies to California — but his conclusion could impact how the administration approaches enforcement in other cities, writes Axios' Avery Lotz.

Zoom in: Landry, a staunch Trump ally, welcomed the idea.

• "We will take President @realDonaldTrump's help from New Orleans to Shreveport!" Landry wrote on X.
• Landry previously sent Louisiana National Guardsmen to Washington, D.C., to support Trump's efforts there.
• Meanwhile, the governor was at Angola on Wednesday with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to announce a new ICE detention facility called Louisiana Lockup.

Between the lines: While Trump won Louisiana in his three elections, Orleans Parish went to the other candidates.

Zoom in: If Trump follows through, this would be the third time outside agencies have policed New Orleans recently.

• Last year, Landry created Troop NOLA, a dedicated group of Louisiana state troopers, to work with NOPD in policing the city. NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick publicly supported the help, even while Troop NOLA's vehicle chases have raised eyebrows.
• And after the New Year's Day terrorist attack, Landry sent the National Guard and other state agencies to secure downtown for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. National law enforcement officers were also policing for the Super Bowl.
• Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Kirkpatrick supported those efforts at the time as well.

What they're saying: The New Orleans Police Department and the city of New Orleans issued three joint statements Wednesday (1, 2 and 3), thanking the federal government and focusing on recent crime reduction.

• Council members Lesli Harris, Oliver Thomas and Helena Moreno slammed the suggestion, with Moreno saying she will "fight any federal takeover."
• Thomas criticized the cost, saying local police should get the support instead.
• Royce Duplessis, who is running against Thomas and Moreno for mayor, called Trump's proposal "reckless" and "politically motivated."

State of play: In an unprecedented move, Trump took federal control of Washington, D.C.'s police department and brought in National Guard troops, claiming they were necessary to fight crime.

• Trump laid out a plan to bring troops to Democratic-led cities, including Chicago and New York City.
• "We're pretty much waiting until we get asked," Trump said on Wednesday about Chicago and Baltimore.

By the numbers: New Orleans, a city of 363,000 people where 57% of residents are Black, has seen homicides drop by 27% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to stats compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

• Violent and property crime in the U.S. fell to a 20-year low in 2024, per new FBI data, with early 2025 numbers showing homicides down in major cities.
• Trump has still claimed crime is out of control in Democratic-led cities like New Orleans, D.C. and Chicago — even as rates there also fall.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Oliver Thomas' statement.