SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — President Donald Trump, during a cabinet meeting Thursday, floated the idea once again of sending federal agents to San Francisco to tackle crime.
He says his administration could improve things quickly, though he says Mayor Daniel Lurie is doing “OK” in his efforts.
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“He’s (Lurie’s) trying very hard, but we could do it much more effectively because he can’t do what we do,” said Trump.
Trump went on to say that he allegedly spoke to Lurie, who said to give him a chance.
He also referenced Bay Area tech CEO’s who reportedly called Trump requesting he not send troops into San Francisco. This was in October after Trump made the threat, even sending federal agents to stage in Alameda, but retreated after the requests.
President Donald Trump’s full remarks about San Francisco
During a roundtable with his cabinet on Thursday, President Donald Trump took aim at San Francisco, criticizing Mayor Daniel Lurie for his immigration enforcement. “He’s trying very hard, but we could do it much more effectively because he can’t do what we do,” said Trump.
“I had friends calling me up from San Francisco, ‘Could you give him a chance?'” Trump said. “I said, ‘Absolutely, if you want, we’ll give him a chance.’ He’s trying, he’s doing OK, but we can do much better. We can make it a lot safer than it is.”
Trump also said that San Francisco “was a great city” and “could quickly become a great city again.”
Lurie’s office provided this statement to ABC7 Eyewitness News regarding the President’s comments:
“In San Francisco, crime is down 30%, encampments are at record lows, and our city is on the rise. Public safety is my number one priority, and we are going to stay laser focused on keeping our streets safe and clean.”
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Trump previously considered deploying the National Guard to San Francisco in October, but called off the plan after local tech leaders intervened.
Data shows that reported crime dropped to historic lows in most of the city last year.
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