OAKLAND — Oakland has landed squarely on Donald Trump’s target list. The president has threatened to send the National Guard into the city’s streets, a move he has already carried out in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and one he has hinted could soon be repeated here.
Trump has described Oakland as one of the “very bad” cities he intends to “liberate from the Democrats,” raising alarms among residents who see his threats as an attack on their community’s sovereignty and safety. His administration has shown little regard for precedent or process, and critics warn that the city must take the possibility of intervention seriously.
The groundwork for Trump’s targeting, observers argue, was laid over the past two years by what some describe as right-wing “doom loopers.” They spent heavily to paint Oakland as unsafe, amplifying narratives of disorder and decline even as citywide violent crime — including homicides, robberies and carjackings — began to fall in 2024, well before contentious recalls.
Organizations such as the Oakland Police Officers Association, the Oakland NAACP, Empower Oakland and Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE) joined in amplifying this message, critics say, with political campaigns like Loren Taylor’s mayoral bid leaning heavily on law-and-order rhetoric. That message was ultimately rejected by Oakland voters, who instead elected Barbara Lee.
Now, as Trump seizes on the image of Oakland as a city “so far gone” that it barely merits mention, residents face the challenge of defending their community’s reputation. Supporters of Oakland emphasize that it remains a diverse and resilient city where immigrants — documented and undocumented — are integral to its cultural and civic strength.
The episode raises a fundamental question: how will Oakland respond to Trump’s latest threat, and will the city allow outside billionaires and political operatives to define its future?
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