BALTIMORE — President Trump has suggested deploying National Guard troops to Baltimore as part of his broader effort to combat urban crime, though he has not specified when such a deployment might occur.
WATCH: Trump suggests National Guard for Baltimore, faces local opposition
The proposal faces strong opposition from local and state officials. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the city does not need or want a National Guard presence.
IN FOCUS: When can federal troops be sent in?
"We're good; we don't need or want the National Guard here in Baltimore," Scott said.
Scott suggested the president is targeting Baltimore because of the city's demographics.
"It seems that they want certain communities and certain types of people, especially people that look like me, to be easily depicted as violent or born criminal, so to speak," Scott said. "We have to make sure that we don't give them that, and we have to make sure that we, at the same time, stand up for our city and our neighbors and our neighborhoods, but we cannot allow them to get what they want."
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore also opposed the idea, saying he would not authorize the Maryland National Guard for what he called "performative" purposes.
"No, I will not authorize the Maryland National Guard to be used for things that are performative," Moore said.
Baltimore residents expressed mixed reactions to the potential deployment. Charles, a Baltimore resident, said he doesn't believe National Guard presence would significantly help reduce crime.
"I don't think it's going to help that much; their presence may deter a little bit of crime, but I don't think it's going to help," Charles said.
Stephan Kelly, another resident, questioned the effectiveness of such deployments.
"Because they are not sending them into the right neighborhoods in DC, so I'm not sure if it would be any different here. I think it's just a diversion tactic, probably. I'm not sure what it is," Kelly said.
Some residents praised local leaders for opposing the proposal. Ronnie, a Baltimore resident, said the firm responses from city and state officials have been positive.
"Their firm responses have been very good. I think it's good that they are not taking a backseat in terms of, like, just letting Trump do whatever he wants, such as other governors and other cities," Ronnie said.
Kelly, who has lived in Baltimore for 25 years, said he wants people to see the city differently.
"People need to come here and see it and experience it. When I first moved here, I heard the same thing everybody said: "Oh, murder capital, blah blah blah," and I'm like, "Well, you're watching too much TV; you need to come and see the real thing," Kelly said.
The National Guard proposal comes as new data from the mayor's office shows Baltimore has reduced crime numbers since this time in 2024. As of September 1, 2025, homicides are down 29%, non-fatal shootings down 20%, carjackings down 21%, and robberies down 30%.
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