U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Maryland Governor Wes Moore on the 24th (local time), who opposed the deployment of the National Guard to combat crime and maintain public order, saying, "It would be better to eradicate the crime disaster before I take a walk 'there.'"

President Trump posted on his social media service, Truth Social, that day, stating, "Governor Moore asked me to 'walk the streets of Maryland' with him in a rather unpleasant and provocative tone."

Earlier, Governor Moore, a Democrat, wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account, "If President Trump had walked the streets (here) with me, had been with the people, and visited the communities, he would have seen what I see." Maryland is adjacent to the capital, Washington D.C.

President Trump speculated, "I assume he is referring to Baltimore, which is out of control and rampant with crime," and claimed, "If Moore needs help, I will dispatch troops, just as Gavin Newsom (Governor of California) needed in Los Angeles (LA), and it will quickly clear up the crime, as is being done in nearby D.C."

President Trump has previously deployed the National Guard and Marines due to riots in LA in response to crackdowns on illegal immigration, and following the recent deployment of the National Guard to Washington D.C. for crime suppression, he has stated that he may deploy troops to Baltimore (Maryland), Oakland (California), New York (New York), and Chicago (Illinois) for the same reason.

President Trump asserted, "In just one week (since the troops were deployed), there is no crime and no murders in D.C. When Baltimore is like that, I will proudly walk the streets with the Maryland governor who is failing due to crime," and "Baltimore is the fourth worst city in the country for crime and murder. Stop talking and start working," he retorted to Governor Moore.

The fact that these states and cities, which President Trump is targeting one after another, are all heavily Democratic regions has led to interpretations that there may be political intentions behind the troop deployments.

President Trump visited and encouraged the National Guard deployed in Washington D.C. Yonhap News. 

Yonhap News