President Trump continues to focus on urban crime, recently indicating a strong consideration for deploying the National Guard to St. Louis, echoing previous actions in Memphis. During a press conference, in which he directed the National Guard to Memphis to quell crime, President Trump highlighted St. Louis and Chicago as potential follow-ups, clearly stating, "St. Louis is in big trouble." This was later detailed in an interview with Fox2now.
While Trump cites an alleged conversation with Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena, advising that Chicago is "dying" and suggesting intervention, St. Louis finds itself in the mix of national attention. As noted in Fox2Now's report, Allison Gorga, a director of criminology, offers context, mentioning that cities like St. Louis indeed suffer higher crime rates. Mitch McCoy, a spokesman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, asserted to Fox2Now, "We're aware of the president's comments, and I can tell you that we are working every single day with our local, state and federal partners to build a safer St. Louis."
President Trump's consideration of deploying the National Guard to U.S. cities is informed by a broader strategy to address urban crime. Speaking on yesterday, President Trump told reporters, "This is a guy coming here with great knowledge, he said, 'don't let Chicago die, sir. 'It's dying. Don't let it die.' I'm going to Chicago next," indicating a sequence that begins with Memphis. This was mentioned in a KSDK report.
Despite the heightened dialogue surrounding possible National Guard deployments in these urban locales, no specific plans for St. Louis have been confirmed by either state or federal officials. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe's office, while applauding the president's efforts, stated that options remain open to maintain Missourian safety, according to Fox2Now. Meanwhile, offices of GOP U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt and Democratic U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell—all with stakes in the region—have received no details regarding such an operation, as cited in St. Louis Today's coverage.
