(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel touted their success in nationwide efforts to fight crime Wednesday afternoon.
Trump boasted about deploying National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, saying that more than 8,000 people were arrested for violent crimes in the three months of the operation.
The president also said his administration has arrested more than twice as many people as the Biden administration, putting the number at more than 23,000 since he took office.
Trump expressed anger at local officials who say they do not need help and who have data showing lower crime rates in recent years.
“I’d never thought we’d go into every city,” Trump said.
The president said San Francisco should be one of the next cities on the list. He also suggested Boston could be on the list, saying the city has a “bad mayor.”
Trump also defended his comments about potentially removing the World Cup from Boston, saying he had the authority to do so.
Patel said the FBI had been prevented from doing its job during the Biden administration, which he said weaponized the agency. He touted success in arrests, seizures of firearms and seizures of illegal drugs.
Attorney Pam Bondi praised Trump for his support.
“You let cops be cops,” Bondi said.
She said since Trump has been in office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has removed more than 25,000 illegal guns from the streets.
The president also addressed the fight against cartel violence and strikes on alleged drug boats. He said the administration is now looking at doing more on land.
Efforts by the administration to crack down on crime have come with pushback from local leaders and court battles.
Trump deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and Memphis to fight crime. He has also attempted to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, but has been blocked by the courts.
While the Republican governor of Tennessee asked the president to send troops, leaders in the other cities have pushed back, noting that statistics show crime is down and saying federal help is not needed.
The Trump administration has remained committed to sending troops into Democratic-run cities as part of crime-fighting efforts.
Trump has said that if necessary, he will invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops.