Trump continues floating plan to send National Guard to New Orleans
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National Guard troops patrol Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras Day this year. Photo: Sandy Huffaker via Getty Images
President Trump's proposal to send the National Guard to New Orleans is looking more possible after the Washington Post reported on leaked Pentagon documents outlining a plan to deploy of 1,000 troops in Louisiana.
Why it matters: With a federal request, Gov. Jeff Landry, who said Tuesday he supports the idea, could quickly set the plan into motion.
The big picture: After deploying the National Guard in Washington, D.C., in mid-August, Trump issued orders Monday to begin a deployment in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Trump said Chicago is "probably next," as well as St. Louis, Missouri, and "New Orleans, we want to get to, too," he added. Watch his comments.
What he's saying: "You could say, 'oh, this is a militarization of our big cities,'" Landry said during a press conference Tuesday. "Our cities are already war zones. Too many people already die."
- Framing the issue as an economic one, Landry said "Mark Zuckerberg and corporate America are not interested in places that are dangerous, so when they look at Louisiana, I want them to see safety."
- "We applaud the president and appreciate any federal resources he wants to send us," Landry said. Watch his comments.
Catch up quick: The city received additional law enforcement support in the first part of this year after the Jan. 1 terror attack on Bourbon Street, but Trump first floated the idea of sending National Guard troops to New Orleans outside that capacity about two weeks ago.
- At the time, Trump said it would take about two weeks to "straighten out" the city, calling it "a very nice section of this country that's become quite, quite tough, quite bad." Go deeper.
- Joint statements from the New Orleans Police Department and City Hall at the time said "collaborative efforts" between the city and federal law enforcement were instrumental in reducing crime.
Reality check: Despite historically low NOPD staffing levels, the city has been celebrating a marked improvement in violent crime rates for months.
- City data indicates double-digit, year-over-year improvements in most violent crime categories, including a 19% decrease in murders.
Yes, but: Statewide data paints a more complicated picture.
- Louisiana's statewide violent crime and homicide rates last year were among the highest in the nation, an Axios review of FBI data found. Go deeper.
What we're watching: Landry hasn't yet actually requested National Guard troops.
- Citing the leaked documents, the Washington Post says the Pentagon's plan calls for a mobilization through Sept. 30, 2026.