Here are the top US cities Trump could target with National Guard deployments in 2026
SOURCE:Fox News Politics
One of President Donald Trump’s most controversial moves in 2025 was his deployment of the National Guard to several major cities. Here is where he could send troops next in 2026.
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One of President Donald Trump’s most controversial moves in 2025 was his deployment of the National Guard to several major U.S. cities to provide security for federal buildings, public places and around law enforcement operations, including deportation operations.
While popular in some areas, Trump’s deployments were met with fierce resistance in some cities, especially in jurisdictions with "sanctuary" laws shielding immigrants from federal authorities. In some particularly controversial instances, the president went around Democratic governors by federalizing the National Guard or deploying troops from friendly states to blue cities.
National Guard members patrol the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 30, 2025. (Andrew Leyden/Getty)
Chicago
Despite a setback in the form of a Christmas week Supreme Court ruling denying a request to proceed with immediately deploying the National Guard to Chicago, the White House told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration plans to keep working "day in and day out to safeguard the American public."
"The President promised the American people he would work tirelessly to enforce our immigration laws and protect federal personnel from violent rioters. He activated the National Guard to protect federal law enforcement officers and to ensure rioters did not destroy federal buildings and property," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. "Nothing in today’s ruling detracts from that core agenda."
With that being said, the Trump administration is likely to continue pushing for National Guard troops to be allowed into Chicago and the legal case is still ongoing.
While announcing a National Guard deployment to Memphis on Sept. 15, Trump hinted at sending troops to the Gateway City, saying, "We have to save St. Louis."
While speaking with reporters in the Oval Office about the Memphis deployment, Trump said, "We’ll get to St. Louis also."
The president grouped St. Louis in with Memphis and Chicago as a city suffering from high violent crime and strained local law enforcement, needing federal assistance to restore order.
According to the FBI’s most recent annual crime report, compiled for cities with 50,000+ residents and released in August, St. Louis ranks among the highest in violent crime rates nationally.
National Guard are seen after reports of two National Guard soldiers shot near the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)
New York
While announcing his temporary federal takeover of D.C. in August, Trump suggested he may also intervene in New York, saying, "We have other cities that are very bad. New York has a problem."
Trump also said, "I’m going to look at New York in a little while."
At the same time, Trump voiced, "I hope they do a self-clean-up." He expressed, however, that the rise to power of socialist now Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani may necessitate a deployment to "straighten out the city."
The president has since met with Mamdani in the Oval Office, in a highly publicized meeting in which the two appeared to have worked through their differences. Trump predicted that Mamdani would be a "great mayor."
"We have one thing in common," said Trump. "We want this city of ours that we love to do very well."
Despite this, the possibility of a National Guard deployment to New York remains should the city begin to spiral out of control under Mamdani’s leadership.
President Donald Trump met with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani for the first time in the Oval Office in November. (Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)
Baltimore
Trump also said that he would send the National Guard to Baltimore to "quickly clean up the crime" if Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore were to say he needs help.
Moore had earlier invited Trump to attend a public safety walk in the crime-ridden city in September, saying in an Aug. 21 letter that the event would provide an opportunity to "discuss strategies for effective public safety policy."
"As President, I would much prefer that he clean up this crime disaster before I go there for a walk," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
He accused Moore of having a poor record on crime, "unless he fudges his figures on crime like many of the other Blue States are doing."
Trump added that he did not appreciate the tone of Moore’s invitation.
"But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the "troops," which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the crime," Trump wrote. He added that Baltimore ranks among the worst cities in the United States for crime and murder.
California National Guard members stand in formation during the protest in Los Angeles, California on June 14, 2025. (David Pashaee/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
California cities
Led by Democratic, pro-sanctuary politicians, America’s most populous state has stood firmly opposed to much of the Trump administration’s actions. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was a fierce critic of Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles over the summer despite ongoing unrest and anti-ICE riots in the city.
Despite the pushback, Trump has signaled his willingness to send the National Guard back to Los Angeles as well as to Oakland and San Francisco.
"We have other cities also that are bad. Very bad," said the president. "You look at Los Angeles, how bad it is."
Addressing crime, Trump has said, "Then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland. We don’t even mention that anymore. They are so far gone. We are not going to let that happen. We are not going to lose our cities over this."
Trump also said, "Look at what the Democrats have done to San Francisco. They’ve destroyed it. We can clean that up, too, we’ll clean that one up, too."
Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
