Violent Crime Falls in Major US Cities Amid National Guard Deployment Debate

President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard to multiple Democratic-led cities including Chicago, New York, Seattle, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Portland, citing concerns about runaway crime. However, data shows that violent crime, including homicides, has generally declined in these cities and across the U.S. in recent years, continuing a post-pandemic trend. While Trump has taken federal control of police in Washington, D.C., where crime rates have fallen significantly, he has also accused the city of manipulating crime statistics, prompting an investigation. Crime rates in many rural, Republican-led states and small cities are often higher than in the targeted urban areas, complicating the political narrative around crime and federal intervention. Public perception remains that crime is a major issue in large cities, although there is limited support for federal control of local police. Experts emphasize that despite persistent violence in some neighborhoods, no U.S. city is currently experiencing a crime crisis.