Trump reverses decision to send troops to San Francisco after conversation with mayor
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he's pulling back on his decision to send troops to clean up crime in San Francisco this weekend.
Trump said on social media that he spoke with the city's mayor, Daniel Lurie, Wednesday night, who asked the president to "give him a chance" to turn things around.
"The Federal Government was preparing to 'surge' San Francisco, California, on Saturday, but friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge in that the Mayor, Daniel Lurie, was making substantial progress. I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around," Trump wrote on his social media platform.
Trump said the move could be a mistake, that he could fix things "much faster," but ultimately said, "Let's see how you do."
"Therefore, we will not surge San Francisco on Saturday," Trump concluded.
In a statement Thursday, Lurie confirmed he spoke with Trump, saying he told him the same thing he told residents: "San Francisco is on the rise."
"We have work to do, and we would welcome continued partnerships with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Attorney to get drugs and drug dealers off our streets, but having the military and militarized immigration enforcement in our city will hinder our recovery," Lurie said. "We appreciate that the president understands that we are the global hub for technology, and when San Francisco is strong, our country is strong."
Lurie said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reaffirmed the decision in a conversation on Thursday morning.
“My team will continue to monitor the situation closely, and our city remains prepared for any scenario," he said.
