Speaking at the White House to FBI Director Cash Patel, the US President said: “At the request of government officials, I am going to urge you to look at San Francisco, which was one of our great cities 10 years ago, 15 years ago, and now it is a complete mess… Every American deserves to live in a society where they are not afraid of being robbed, murdered, raped, attacked or shot.”
Just like federal units in Portland, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles earlier this year, Democratic leaders in San Francisco and California have not demanded the kind of tough measures Trump is pushing for, based on false and hyperbolic claims about out-of-control crime, The Guardian writes.
San Francisco, the hometown of liberal California Gov. Gavin Newsom, has been expecting for months that the Bay Area city could be in the president’s crosshairs. Trump has long complained about the city, saying during his campaign last year that his opponent Kamala Harris had “ruined” it and that it had gone from “the best city” to “not livable at all.”
Trump is increasingly investing in sending National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities, despite longstanding federal law that broadly prohibits the use of US troops domestically to enforce criminal laws, The Guardian comments. In Chicago and Los Angeles, troop deployments coincided with aggressive and sometimes violent immigration raids, sparking widespread protests to which law enforcement responded with a decisive show of force.
A White House spokesman declined to comment on possible plans for San Francisco, citing the president’s remarks.
Leaders in San Francisco and California said they opposed Trump’s intervention and sought to convey that there is no crisis of crime and violence that requires outside help or a military response.
State Sen. Scott Wiener said Wednesday that the city “neither needs nor wants Trump’s personal army on our streets.”
“Contrary to Trump’s lies, no ‘government officials’ here demanded a federal occupation. We don’t need Trump’s authoritarian repression in our city. Bottom line: stay away from San Francisco,” the Democrat urges.
Mano Raju, the San Francisco public defender, stressed that his office “condemns any attempt to use military force against the residents of our city,” noting that the courts have already ruled against the deployment of the President’s National Guard.
“The use of armed force against civilians is an abuse of power and government resources. Our communities are strong, organized and deeply committed to peaceful civic participation in the face of injustice, and we will continue to support residents exercising their rights legally and peacefully,” Raju said.
Gov. Newsom’s office reported Wednesday that the overall violent crime rate in California’s major cities in 2025 was down 12.5% from last year, with San Francisco down 22%. The governor added that from 2019 to 2025, the number of murders in the city decreased by 45% and robberies by 40%.
The city has its lowest homicide rate in 70 years, according to a recent San Francisco Chronicle analysis.
Governor Newsom also said his administration recently expanded “crime teams” in the San Francisco area, and state officers are assisting local governments with a range of operations.
The California governor, sticking to his anti-Trump social media strategy, posted footage of Trump saying San Francisco was great 15 years ago and responding, “Oh, thank you!” Newsom served as mayor from 2004 to 2010.
Daniel Lurie, the current mayor of San Francisco, spoke earlier Wednesday alongside San Francisco’s sheriff and district attorney, touting falling crime rates, increasing police numbers and partnering with state and federal agencies to combat drug trafficking, The Chronicle reported.
“We have a lot of work to do, but I have confidence in our local law enforcement,” the mayor said. Brooke Jenkins, the district attorney, said San Francisco seeks federal assistance when needed, but local officials are “keeping the matter under control.”
Their remarks come days after billionaire Marc Benioff said he supported Trump’s proposal to send National Guard troops to San Francisco, a comment that sparked a backlash.
Immigrant rights advocates said they were preparing for the possibility of troops arriving or increased law enforcement efforts.
Amanda Maia, director of the asylum program at the San Francisco Bay Area Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, a nonprofit, said the region’s first responder networks that protect immigrant communities are making sure they have enough capacity to respond to a potential surge in detentions.
“My biggest concern is that this creates an environment of fear, not just for those who are undocumented, but for everyone,” she said of the possible deployment of troops. “People will be afraid to leave their homes, to go to work, to access basic services.” Her clients already avoid visiting hospitals or reporting crimes to police because of concerns about immigration authorities.
Lawyers continue to provide “know your rights” training, reminding immigrants to assert their rights to remain silent if detained, avoid signing documents, and communicate with lawyers.
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Published on: 2025-10-16 09:58:00
Source: www.mk.ru
