None of what Trump said is true, of course. Crime rates are low in New Orleans, and have been for quite some time. Additionally, the spike in crime the city did see during the pandemic was part of a broader national increase in crime.
City Council Vice President Helena Moreno, who is running for mayor, slammed Trump, arguing it “is about scare tactics and politicizing public safety … We cannot allow this and I will fight to prevent any federal takeover of New Orleans.”
State Sen. Royce Duplessis, who also is running for mayor wrote in an Instagram post, “President Trump’s suggestion that he may deploy federal troops to New Orleans is reckless, politically motivated, an abuse of presidential power, and a betrayal of our Constitution. Our residents deserve safety and stability, not to be used as pawns in partisan theater.”
In fact, much of the city’s political leadership has been quick to condemn the possible invasion. Outgoing Council Member Joe Giarrusso said, “This is not about safety. This is about politics. Crime in New Orleans has decreased drastically with public support and funds for first responders and early intervention programs … it is a slap in the face to local and state troopers to even suggest federal troops are needed.”
Likewise, Council Member Lesli Harris said, “Sending troops into Black and Brown cities is not a solution – it’s a political stunt. If the federal government truly wants to help, it should invest in our city’s ongoing programs, especially those created to support young people, advance affordable housing and eradicate blight.”
At press time Mayor LaToya Cantrell had not yet released a statement. It is unclear if Cantrell is in town at the moment. NOPD, however, did release a statement which did not directly address Trump’s threatened invasion.
Trump has already sent troops into two cities: Los Angeles and the District of Columbia. Both cities have Black women mayors. Although a federal judge recently ruled Trump’s temporary occupation of Los Angeles illegal, his siege on the nation’s capital continues.
That’s in part because anti-Black politicians have for decades refused to grant the majority-Black District of Columbia statehood and thus granting the federal government much greater control over the city than it otherwise would have.
For several weeks Trump has been threatening to invade Chicago, though his statement Tuesday could mean he’s reconsidering that plan. Illinois’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday denounced the likely illegal invasion plan and called on Chicago residents to stand vigilant against any effort to occupy the city.
Trump would have Gov. Jeff Landry’s support in sending troops to New Orleans. The governor responded on X, “We will take President @realDonaldTrump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport!”
Landry is one of Trump’s most vocal cheerleaders and has worked hard to cultivate relationships with his leader’s sons. Like Trump, Landry favors a more authoritarian style of government and has sought unsuccessfully to change the state’s constitution to grant him sweeping powers.
Landry also has long been hostile to New Orleans, and has already begun his own minor occupation of the city, using the state police and other law enforcement agencies to conduct sweeps of the unhoused and patrol parts of the city.
Landry also deployed National Guard troops in the French Quarter during the Super Bowl in a performative show of force that drove locals and visitors out of the quarter and contributed to the economic hit many businesses in the neighborhood suffered as a result of the event.