Jessica Tisch tells AG Bondi NYPD can handle crime without National Guard as Trump eyes NYC

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump has sharpened his focus on New York City, signaling he could take unprecedented steps to intervene in the city’s crime policies while pushing to end cashless bail nationwide. His latest moves have raised questions about whether federal control, including the use of National Guard troops, could extend to the city.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch defended the city’s ability to handle crime on its own, telling U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that National Guard troops are not needed in New York.

SKIP TO: What is cashless bail?

What we know:

The two met for about 30 minutes at police headquarters in Lower Manhattan, where Tisch highlighted record-low shootings and the department’s use of drones and new quality-of-life teams. 

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump suggested he would intervene in New York City, hours after he instituted a federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s police department and deployed 800 National Guard troops to the capital.

Can Trump deploy troops in NYC?

It’s unclear exactly how President Trump could intervene in New York City in the way he did in Washington, D.C. His authority to take temporary control of the D.C. police department comes from a provision in the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, a legal framework that only applies to the nation’s capital. 

That structure does not extend to cities like New York, which are governed by state and local laws.

What they're saying:

For now, city officials wait to see whether Tisch’s direct appeal will persuade the president to leave law enforcement matters in the NYPD’s hands.

The order specifically targets the nation’s capital first, where cashless bail has been in place for decades.

Trump set to deploy troops in these 19 states

Nearly 1,700 National Guard troops are set to mobilize across 19 states in the coming weeks to support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with immigration enforcement, Pentagon officials confirmed to Fox News.

Though documents reviewed by Fox News do not show deployments in New York, they are scheduled in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

Texas is expected to see the largest Guard presence.

The meeting comes as he's also pushing to eliminate cashless bail nationwide.

Trump to end cashless bail

President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at ending cashless bail policies across the United States, with a direct threat to withdraw federal funding from any states or cities that do not comply. 

Trump’s executive order gave AG Bondi 30 days to compile a list of jurisdictions that have "substantially eliminated" cash bail. He threatened to cut off federal funding for them, a move critics said was vague and "reckless."

"Somebody kill somebody, they go and don't worry about it," he said. "No cash. Come back in a couple of months. We'll give you a trial. You never see the person again. And I mean, they kill people and they get out cashless bail. They thought it was discriminatory to make people put up money because they just killed three people lying on a street, any street all over the country. Cashless bail. We're ending it, but we're starting by ending it in D.C. and that we have the right to do through federalization."

Cashless bail in NYC 

"New York has not eliminated cash bail. His reckless threat to withhold federal funds would only undercut law enforcement and make our communities less safe," a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

New York’s 2019 bail reform law, signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, ended cash bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. But it kept bail in place for violent crimes like murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Judges can also set bail if they determine it’s necessary to ensure a defendant returns to court.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was asked about the executive order and Trump's threat to pull federal funding.

"Our revolving door system of dealing with violent offenders must be addressed," Adams said. "The former governor made a terrible mistake how they did bail reform."

What is cashless bail?

Cashless bail has been a hot-button issue in several parts of the country. In Washington, D.C., judges have been allowed to consider a defendant's financial situation and flight risk when deciding on release. Cashless bail is also a policy in states like New York, California, and Illinois.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, in New York for lower-level charges like shoplifting or misdemeanor assault, judges generally cannot impose bail. However, lawmakers later carved out exceptions, such as allowing bail if someone is re-arrested for a new crime while already facing charges that caused harm to a person or property.

Trump has dismissed these revisions, saying, "It started in New York and it’s been a horrible thing for crime."

Bondi appeared alongside Trump earlier in the day at the White House as he signed an executive order warning jurisdictions that allow cashless bail could lose federal funding. The president argued the policy lets violent offenders walk free, calling it "a recipe for disaster."
 

Donald J. TrumpNew York CityCrime and Public Safety