President Trump credits feds for "safest Mardi Gras" in decades

What he said: "Jeff Landry just called me. He said it's the safest Mardi Gras in 58 years, because of us," Trump said Tuesday in the Oval Office.

• The comments came as he discussed National Guard deployments and immigration enforcement in several cities.
• He added that the federal government may need to "force ourselves" upon cities during major events like the World Cup and America 250 to help with crime.

Zoom in: This isn't the first time the president has taken credit for improving crime rates in New Orleans.

• He met with Mayor Helena Moreno in January and later used that conversation to justify deploying soldiers to help law enforcement.
• Moreno has credited multiyear efforts by NOPD and said she supports the National Guard's help to "assist" at major events.
• An NOPD statement on Wednesday said the department was "proud of the collaborative effort" at Mardi Gras.

What they're saying: "NOPD's focus remains on delivering a safe Mardi Gras through intentional strategies, strong coordination and the hard work of our officers alongside our local, state and federal partners," the statement said.

Of note: Landry's office did not respond to a request for comment about the nature of his call with Trump.

What's next: The National Guard was set to leave New Orleans at the end of February, but the federal deployment was extended another six months.