Scott Rejects National Guard, Urges Trump for Federal Crime Aid

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is rejecting calls for the National Guard to be deployed in his city, instead urging President Donald Trump to send more federal law enforcement resources to help reduce gun violence.

“We know that the National Guard is not the way. That’s not what those soldiers signed up to do,” Scott said, arguing that Baltimore has shown progress in reducing violent crime through partnerships with agencies like the FBI, DEA, and ATF, not the military.

The request comes a day after Maryland Gov. Wes Moore invited President Trump to Baltimore for a public safety walk to discuss crime solutions. It also follows the president’s decision last week to send the National Guard into Washington, D.C., to combat rising crime there.

During a press conference in D.C., Trump criticized cities like Baltimore as being “so far gone” on crime reduction. Scott pushed back, pointing to data showing Baltimore’s homicide rate at its lowest level in more than half a century.

“Baltimore is the safest it’s been in over 50 years,” Scott said in a statement. “Homicides are down 28% this year alone, reaching the lowest level of any year on record.”

According to the Baltimore Police Department, the first half of 2025 saw double-digit decreases in violent crime, with homicides dropping 28.8% and non-fatal shootings down 19.2% compared to last year.

Scott credited this success to years of planning, local policing strategies, and the work of community violence intervention workers. Still, he stressed that Baltimore’s progress remains fragile.

“You don’t see me celebrating because we know we still have a long way to go,” Scott said. “But too many people—our officers, our community workers, and residents—have put their lives on the line to make this city safer. It’s the safest it’s been in my lifetime.”

While rejecting military involvement, Scott emphasized the need for more federal agents to work alongside the Baltimore Police Department.

“Allowing them to have more agents would be allowing them to work alongside BPD. This is a partnership, and they’re working with us every day,” he said.

The mayor also highlighted the city’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy, noting that federal partners were already helping dismantle drug and gun trafficking organizations.

Scott criticized the Trump administration for cutting public safety grants earlier this year and urged that funding be restored. He also renewed his call for federal legislation to ban ghost guns and Glock switches, which he described as “terrorizing communities across the country.”