San Francisco opposes ‘authoritarian crackdown’ as Trump threatens to send troops | San Francisco

Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that San Francisco could be the next city he targets with federal troops, threatening a deployment that local and state officials have deemed unnecessary and unwelcome.

Speaking at the White House to FBI Director Kash Patel, the president said: “I’m going to strongly recommend, at the request of government officials…that you start looking at San Francisco…one of our great cities 10 years ago, 15 years ago, and now it’s a disaster…Every American deserves to live in a community where they are not afraid of being assaulted, murdered, robbed, raped, assaulted or shot.” »

Just as during federal deployments in Portland, Chicago, Washington DC and Los Angeles earlier this year, Democratic leaders in San Francisco and California have not called for the type of crackdown Trump is advocating based on false and hyperbolic claims of unchecked crime.

San Francisco, the hometown of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, has been anticipating for months that the Bay Area city could find itself in the president’s crosshairs. Trump has long complained about the city, saying during his campaign last year that his opponent, Kamala Harris, had “destroyed” it and that it had gone from being “the best city” to “not even livable.”

Trump is increasingly investing in sending National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities, despite a longstanding federal law that largely prohibits the use of U.S. troops to enforce criminal laws. In Chicago and Los Angeles, troop deployments coincided with aggressive and sometimes violent immigration raids, provoking mass protests to which law enforcement responded with a strong show of force.

A White House spokesperson declined to comment on potential plans for San Francisco, referring to the president’s remarks.

Leaders in San Francisco and California said they opposed Trump’s intervention and worked to convey that there is no crisis of crime and violence requiring outside help or a militarized response.

State Sen. Scott Wiener said in a statement Wednesday that the city “neither needs nor wants Trump’s personal army on our streets.”

“Contrary to Trump’s lie, no ‘government official’ here has called for a federal occupation. We don’t need Trump’s authoritarian crackdown in our city. Bottom line: stay out of San Francisco,” the Democrat said.

Mano Raju, San Francisco’s public defender, said in an email that his office “condemns any attempt to deploy military forces against the residents of our city,” noting that courts have already ruled against the president’s deployment of the National Guard.

“The use of armed force against civilians is an abuse of power and a misuse of public resources. Our communities are strong, organized, and deeply committed to peaceful civic engagement in the face of injustice – and we will continue to support residents who exercise their rights legally and peacefully,” Raju said.

Newsom’s office said Wednesday that overall violent crime in major California cities is down 12.5% ​​in 2025 compared to last year, with a 22% decrease in San Francisco. From 2019 to 2025, the city saw a 45% decrease in homicides and a 40% decrease in robberies, the governor added.

The city is on pace to have the lowest number of homicides in more than 70 years, according to a recent analysis by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Newsom also said his administration recently expanded “crime enforcement teams” in the San Francisco area, with state agents assisting local agencies in various operations.

The governor, adopting his anti-Trump trolling strategy on social media, posted footage of Trump saying San Francisco was great 15 years ago, responding, “Why, thank you!” Newsom served as mayor from 2004 to 2010.

Daniel Lurie, the current mayor, spoke Wednesday alongside San Francisco’s sheriff and district attorney, touting declining crime, increased police recruiting and partnerships with state and federal agencies to combat drug trafficking, the Chronicle reported.

“We have a lot of work to do, but I trust local law enforcement,” the mayor said, according to the newspaper. Brooke Jenkins, the district attorney, said San Francisco asked for federal help when it needed it, but local leaders were “keeping this problem under control.”

Their claims come days after Marc Benioff, the billionaire CEO of Salesforce, said he supported Trump sending National Guard troops to San Francisco, a comment that sparked intense backlash.

Immigrant rights advocates said they were preparing for the potential arrival of troops or an intensification of enforcement efforts.

Amanda Maya, director of the asylum program at the San Francisco Bay Area Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, a nonprofit, said the region’s rapid response networks, which advocate for immigrant communities, are ensuring they have sufficient capacity to respond to a possible increase in detentions.

“My biggest concern is that this creates an environment of fear, not just for those who are undocumented, but for everyone,” she said of the potential troop deployment. “People will be afraid to leave their homes, to go to work, to access essential services. » She said her clients already avoid going to the hospital or going to the police to report crimes because of their anxiety about immigration authorities.

Advocates continue to hold “Know Your Rights” training sessions, reminding immigrants that they need to assert their rights to remain silent if detained, avoid signing documents and make sure they are in contact with attorneys, Maya said, adding, “We are definitely preparing.”

Maya argued that it was particularly “unnecessary and irresponsible” to consider deploying troops at a time when the federal government is paralyzed, leading to cuts to essential services: “It’s so unnecessary.”