Trump told reporters he is deciding where to send the National Guard next to push down violent crime fast. He made clear that New Orleans is in the running alongside Chicago and that results, not politics, will drive the call.

“We are making a determination now: Do we go to Chicago? Or do we go to a place like New Orleans where we have a great governor, [Republican Louisiana Gov.] Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that has become quite – quite tough, quite bad?” he said in the Oval Office.

“We’re going to be going to maybe Louisiana, and you have New Orleans, which has a crime problem,” Trump added. “We’ll straighten that out in about two weeks. It’ll take us two weeks, easier than D.C.”

Louisiana’s governor welcomed the assist. In a video post sharing the president’s remarks, Jeff Landry said the state “will take President @realDonaldTrump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport!”

The White House framed the choice as a continuation of a broader crackdown that began with a surge in the nation’s capital. After the move in Washington drew howls from Democrats, early numbers and on-the-ground feedback bolstered Trump’s case that order can return quickly when leaders back law enforcement.

“I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, and soon,” Trump wrote. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

City officials in New Orleans stressed existing cooperation but did not embrace the idea of federalizing the response. “We have consistently worked with our federal partners, including collaborations with the Louisiana State Police,” the office of Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the New Orleans Police Department said in a joint statement. “This collaborative approach has been instrumental in our ongoing success in reducing crime.”

The president’s message lands in a simple pattern: where leaders accept help, violent crime drops; where they posture, criminals exploit the vacuum. That was the story in the capital, and Trump is betting it can be the story in New Orleans or Chicago if local officials prioritize safety over politics.

Supporters see a straightforward plan—deploy Guard units to stabilize hot spots, reinforce local cops, and make it clear that carjackers, looters, and gang crews will be met by overwhelming force. Critics relitigate process and optics, but families living with bullets and break-ins want action that protects their neighborhoods now.

Trump also underscored that hardening targets alone can be a trap if it slows first responders. His view blends common-sense security upgrades with the deterrence that comes from trained, visible manpower—backed by a commander-in-chief willing to own the mission and the results.

New Orleans has community pride and world-class culture; it should also have streets where kids can walk to school and businesses can stay open late without fear. If federal support accelerates that outcome, the choice for local leaders is obvious: take the help, deliver the safety, and prove that law and order is a bipartisan expectation.

This moment is bigger than one city. It’s a test of whether America lets excuses and ideology override the public’s right to live in peace. Trump is offering the same deal everywhere: back the police, surge the Guard where needed, crush the violence, and keep it down.

It’s time to choose results over rhetoric. Send the Guard, flood the zone, and show the country what happens when leaders put citizens first. Back the cops. Back the mission. Make every city safe—and keep America moving forward.