The political crossfire continues after President Donald Trump took aim at Baltimore, claiming the city is “so far gone” when it comes to crime.
In an interview with CNN, Mayor Brandon Scott fired back, saying the city’s record-low crime stats speak for themselves.
“What he’s doing is dog whistling through this right-wing propaganda, and quite frankly, racist viewpoints,” Scott said. “I think it is very notable that each and every one of the cities called out by the president has a Black mayor, and most of those cities are seeing historic lows in violent crime.”
Scott argues Baltimore isn’t far gone — rather, it’s far safer than decades ago, stressing a 28% drop in homicides this year alone. Progress Scott attributes in part to his own holistic crime intervention strategies.
“That’s 50 years, a 50-year low,” he says, “The president could learn a lot from us instead of throwing things at us.”
But while the reductions are real, some say Scott is overstating his role.
“The reason we know that is if you look at the first two years of Mayor Scott’s administration, you really didn’t see these reductions. You didn’t start to see those reductions until Mr. Bates took office,” said former Deputy Commissioner of the Baltimore City Police Department Jason Johnson.
Johnson notes crime rates remained high while Scott worked alongside former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, whose progressive nonprosecution policies were replaced in 2023 by Ivan Bates’ tough-on-crime approach.
“If you’re breaking the law, you’re going around with illegal handguns on the street, bring your toothbrush with you because we’re going to send you to jail,” warned Bates when he first took office.
“Bring your toothbrush,” reiterated political analyst John Dedie, “When you say that to people in Baltimore, they know what you mean.”
Dedie also credits Bates for the city’s recent reduction in violent crime, though he’s not surprised to see Scott front and center on the issue.
“Whenever there is good news, a politician will take credit for it, even if they are only in the issue on the fringes,” said Dedie, “It’s what politicians do.”
Regardless of who’s responsible, the city’s crime fight is moving forward, with many insisting it’s the national narrative that needs to catch up.
