Trump To NYC: Tackle Crime Or I'll Send Federal Authorities

NEW YORK CITY — President Donald Trump threatened to send federal authorities to American cities — including New York — that he claimed have been gripped by anarchy and violence.

Trump on Monday gave rambling, bleak assessments of cities like Detroit, Philadelphia and Oakland that he said are run by "liberal Democrats."

Portland? Ripped down by looters and anarchists, Trump said.

Chicago? "Worse than Afghanistan, by far," he said.

And his home city of New York? A place in the midst of a "crime wave" where police are restricted from acting, he said.

"I'm going to do something, that I can tell you," he promised during an address from the Oval Office.

Trump said he planned to send federal law enforcement to the Democratic-led cities he railed against. He praised the "fantastic job" done by militarized federal agents in Portland who responded to weeks of protests following the killing of George Floyd.

The Portland crackdown has been widely criticized after unidentified federal agents in unmarked vans snatched people off the streets, used tear gas against protesters and beat a Navy veteran. On Twitter, #Gestapo trended as complaints about the crackdown grew.

Trump conflated the unrest from protests in Portland with reports of violent crime in Chicago and New York City. He specifically mentioned a New York Post report about a Brooklyn woman who was shot after complaining about illegal fireworks.

"That’s not our civilization, that’s not about us," he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo must contend with a recent spike in violent crime in New York City, Trump said. He didn't mention Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"If the governor's not going to do something about it, we'll do something about it," he said.