California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) unveiled his plans to combat crime in his state while taking a jab at President Donald Trump‘s threats to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities.
Newsom held a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, where he announced that he would be expanding the California Highway Patrol in key regions to deter crime. He also suggested that Trump send troops to Republican-led states where there are skyrocketing crime rates while touting his own efforts to deter crime in California.
Newsom said that Mississippi is the state with the highest murder rate, noting that the state’s murder rate is 180% higher than the city of Los Angeles, which has more people. He also said that the murder rate in Louisiana, the home state of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), is four times higher than California’s.
“These are not just observations. They’re stone cold facts. And the fact remains, if the President is sincere about the issue of crime and violence, there’s no question in my mind that he’ll likely be sending the troops into Louisiana and Mississippi to address the just, unconscionable wave of violence that continues to plague those states,” Newsom said.
The states with the highest homicide rates per 100,000 people are Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, according to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Newsom suggested on Thursday that Trump focus on bringing down crime in those states.
“Alabama’s top three murder states in America. Where’s the President of the United States? I thought he cared,” Newsom said.” These are his states that voted for him. His state of mind doesn’t seem to be focused on the issue of crime and violence. It’s about an expression of authoritarianism. He reflects and waxes, I think, two of the last three days talking about being a dictator. I hope people pay attention,” Newsom said.
Newsom’s press office continued to highlight the high crime rates in GOP-led states on its social media account while also taking a swipe at Fox News.
“Mississippi’s homicide rate is 380% California’s, yet FOX NEWS refuses to cover it!” the account posted.
Another post read: “Alabama has a homicide rate 290% higher than California’s, but Fox News is choosing to ignore that.”
The account also posted: “Tennessee’s homicide rate is 220% higher than California’s, why is Fox News not covering it?”
The fourth post stated: “Missouri’s homicide rate is 200% higher than California’s, but you wouldn’t know that by watching FOX NEWS.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led states, including the cities of Chicago and New York City, after deploying troops to Washington D.C. earlier this month. His deployment of troops to D.C. has been met with sharp criticism, with many critics warning that Trump could do the same to other U.S. cities.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll, released Wednesday, found that just 38% of Americans support Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in the nation’s capital to combat crime in the city. Another 46% said they were opposed to Trump’s decision, while the rest of respondents said they were unsure.
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