Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has accused President Donald Trump of targeting Black mayors in major U.S. cities with his recent crime crackdown. Lucas claimed that the president’s efforts to address crime, including deploying the National Guard in Washington, D.C., are politically motivated and rooted in racial bias. He pointed to the fact that many of the cities under scrutiny—such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Baltimore—have Black mayors as evidence of this targeted approach. Lucas argued that Trump is using these issues to create a wedge against mayors who lack the same political power to respond.
During a press conference, Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C. and the federalization of the city’s police department. The move came amid heightened concerns over crime in the region. Trump also listed several other cities—such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Oakland—as areas in need of intervention. Lucas, addressing CNN’s Kate Bolduan, emphasized that many of these cities are led by Black mayors, suggesting that race and politics are central to Trump’s strategy.
Lucas highlighted Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as another example of a Black mayor targeted by Trump. He encouraged others to resist his approach, even if their cities are experiencing high crime rates. “This is one of the best fights to pick,” Lucas said, stressing that while crime is a real issue, the proposed solutions are not aligned with the city’s needs. He argued that Trump is more interested in political gains than in saving lives, framing the crackdown as a political maneuver.
Lucas noted that his city, Kansas City, is unlikely to be a target due to its Republican governor, which he believes makes it less politically interesting for Trump. He criticized the current situation as a “wedge issue” against mayors who don’t have the same public platform to respond. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, also a Black woman, has expressed concerns about Trump’s National Guard move, calling it “unsettling and unprecedented.” She has repeated her stance that the city is not experiencing a significant rise in crime, challenging the urgency of Trump’s actions.
The political dynamics at play suggest that the issue of crime is being used to divide and target specific communities, with significant implications for local governance and public policy. As debates continue, the focus remains on whether Trump’s actions are driven by genuine concerns or political strategy, with leaders like Lucas and Bowser pushing back against what they see as an unfair narrative.