Move FM Global News

SAN FRANCISCO, California: President Donald Trump is again threatening to send National Guard troops to San Francisco, calling the city dangerous and claiming people there are asking for federal help. But local and state leaders say that’s not true.

They point out that overall crime is down, and the city is recovering from its pandemic struggles. Many residents and workers say they are confused and worried by Trump’s remarks.

“This is a safe American city,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “We’ve got this in San Francisco.”

Trump says crime is the reason he might send the Guard to San Francisco, a city of about 830,000 people. He has already deployed troops to Washington, D.C., where he controls the Guard, and to Memphis, where the state’s Republican governor supported the move. He first sent the Guard to Los Angeles to protect federal buildings during immigration protests, and he has also mentioned sending them to Chicago and Portland, Oregon.

In Portland, residents and officials were surprised when Trump described their city as overrun by violent protests. While there were a few arrests, the unrest was far smaller than the 2020 protests after George Floyd’s death.

Critics say Trump is relying on an outdated image of San Francisco, which conservatives often use as an example of failed liberal policies. “The difference is, I think they want us in San Francisco,” Trump said on Fox News, adding that the city “went wrong” about 15 years ago when it “went woke.”

Many residents disagreed. Retail worker Kate Freudenberger said the city is calm and there’s no reason for troops. “You’ve been walking around the city — it’s peaceful,” she said.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently caused a stir when he said he’d welcome the Guard to fight crime before his company’s big conference. He later apologized, saying the event turned out to be the “largest and safest” ever.

San Francisco is still recovering from the pandemic, which hurt downtown businesses and increased homelessness and drug use. But things are improving. AI startups are renting offices, home prices are rising, and office visits are up 21 percent from last year. Public transit use has also been at its highest since COVID-19.

The Wall Street Journal recently said the city is breaking out of its “doom loop,” a term used to describe its decline. The mayor proudly shared that article online. Streets are cleaner, and large homeless camps have mostly disappeared. In neighborhoods like the Tenderloin, city workers are cleaning streets and helping people find support, though drug use remains a problem in a few areas.

According to police, total crime is down 26 percent from last year, and car break-ins are at a 22-year low. Mayor Lurie said he’s open to more federal help to fight drug trafficking, but he doesn’t think sending in troops would help.

Voters have also backed stricter crime measures — approving police use of drones and surveillance tools, replacing a progressive district attorney with a tougher one, and increasing police hiring.

Governor Gavin Newsom and state officials say they’ll fight any federal troop deployment in court, as they did when Trump tried to send the Guard to Los Angeles. California’s attorney general warned that he would sue “within hours, if not minutes,” if Trump followed through.

Similar lawsuits in Chicago and Portland have already blocked federal troops from patrolling city streets.