President Donald Trump said on Fox News that the National Guard is headed to San Francisco next.
The White House wants California Democrats to “welcome the President in to clean up their city,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.
“America’s once great cities have descended into chaos and crime as a result of Democrat policies that put criminals first and law-abiding citizens last,” Jackson said Monday. “Making America Safe Again — especially crime-ridden cities — was a key campaign promise from the President that the American people elected him to fulfill.”
Trump explained why he is sending troops. “We’re going to go to San Francisco,” he said on Sunday. “The difference is, I think they want us in San Francisco. San Francisco was truly one of the great cities of the world, and then 15 years ago, it went wrong. It went woke.”
TRUMP: If I were a Democrat, I’d say, ‘Come on in.’ What do you have to lose?
BARTIROMO: And you’re going to San Francisco next
TRUMP: We’re gonna go to San Francisco. The difference is I think they want us in San Francisco. 15 year ago, it went woke. pic.twitter.com/49NqlcoGui
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 19, 2025
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Not everyone agrees. Governor Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., quickly responded on social media. “Fact check: Nobody wants you here. You will ruin one of America’s greatest cities.”
Fact check: Nobody wants you here.
You will ruin one of America’s greatest cities. https://t.co/bdMoAhFmMS
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 19, 2025
Mayor Daniel Lurie also pushed back. He highlighted the work his team has done to make San Francisco safe. “Since January, I have said that public safety is my number one priority,” Lurie said during a public safety briefing Friday.
“Over the last nine months, we have backed that up, rebuilding the ranks of our public safety agencies, strengthening coordination across departments and strategically deploying technology. It’s working, and this week proved it.”
Lurie pointed to a recent event as proof. Last week, more than 45,000 people came to San Francisco for Salesforce’s “Dreamforce 2025” conference. “45,000 visitors, and no reports of any major incidents. Once again, the eyes of the world were on San Francisco, and we delivered,” Lurie said.
He credited first responders and city workers. “It happened because of our close partnership with the California Highway Patrol,” Lurie said. “We are working with the appropriate state and federal enforcement agencies every day to keep our city safe, and that coordination is delivering results for San Francisco.”
Newsom has criticized Trump before for “militarizing American cities.” He spoke out after Trump sent troops to Washington, D.C., to fight crime. Since then, Trump has also deployed the National Guard to Chicago, Memphis, and Portland.
California has its own plans to fight crime. In August, Newsom deployed California Highway Patrol “crime-suppression teams” across the state. “While the Trump administration undermines cities, California is partnering with them and delivering real results,” he said. “With these new deployments, we’re doubling down on these partnerships to build on progress and keep driving crime down.”
Earlier this spring, Trump also sent the National Guard to Los Angeles during protests against deportations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Featured image via X screengrab
