PHILADELPHIA (August 12, 2025)—Philadelphia District Attorney joined an interdenominational group of faith leaders on Tuesday to denounce President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy National Guard units to Washington, D.C. and other American cities. District Attorney Krasner also fact-checked Trump’s baseless claims that violent crime is on the rise nationally, a falsehood asserted by the president to justify the deployment of such units to Democratically-led cities.
“Violent crime in Philly is at a record low. This is a fact,” said District Attorney Krasner, referencing current Philadelphia Police Department statistics. “The same is essentially true for Washington, D.C., and other major American cities Trump is targeting for military invasion. His claim that violent crime is an emergency in these cities is a flat-out lie, and a cynical ploy to scare Americans into accommodating his authoritarian ambitions. The only public safety emergency in these cities is Trump himself.
“Communities across Philadelphia, in collaboration with law enforcement and city leaders, are working hard every day to continue decreasing this downward trend in violent crime even more. Philadelphia will not accommodate his designs. Philadelphia ‘isn’t the one,’ as we like to say in Philly. To be clear, Donald Trump—the 34-time convicted felon, insurrectionist, and king of the coverup—is the national emergency.”
“It is the faith community’s duty to sound the alarm,” said Imam Kenneth Nuriddin, Resident Imam, Philadelphia Masjid, and a veteran of the Vietnam War. “Our city and our country are very diverse. But what binds us all together are the documents that bestow upon us our inalienable rights as Americans. And justice has to be the benchmark for all decisions that are made. Is it just? Is it fair? When decisions are made to trample on communities and to violate those inalienable rights, it is our duty to stand up.”
“We come from a tradition which teaches us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves,” said Rev. Carolyn Cavaness, Senior Pastor, Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church. “We also come from a tradition, from Richard Allen, a founding father of this country, who states that we will trample over oppressors who desire to take over our rights. And so we come in that tradition to show that this type of oppression will not be allowed here.”
“Love is the basis of all of our religions, and loving one’s neighbor is the way you should act in the world,” said Rabbi Mordechai Liebling. “This racist president’s actions are the opposite of love. They are of division and hatred, and in my view, cutting off people from one another is a sin. That is why we must resist his assault on our cities and his larger agenda.”
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]
###
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.