• "We don't want, indefinitely, to put National Guardsmen on the streets of our cities," Vance said in an exclusive interview.

WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump isn't planning a long-term military occupation of American cities, Vice President JD Vance told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview, but Vance said National Guard troops will need time to reduce crime.

"We don't want indefinitely to put National Guardsmen on the streets of our cities. We just want to make those streets more safe," Vance said on Aug. 27.

Trump has signaled plans to deploy National Guard troops to additional cities starting with Chicago after launching a crackdown in the District of Columbia. Nearly 2,300 armed National Guard troops are currently in Washington, DC, after Trump declared a public crime emergency in the nation's capital on Aug. 11, even as violent crime was down 26% from last year.

Vance said how long National Guard troops stay in cities would depend on their success in reducing crime.

"I think you obviously have to make that determination based on the local crime rates, what's happening with murder, what's happening with armed robberies, what's happening with carjackings," Vance said in a wide-ranging interview that covered topics including his televised spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce engagement, and the president's controversial efforts to oust a Federal Reserve governor.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, have pushed back strongly at Trump's threats to send the National Guard to Chicago.

Trump has also mentioned Baltimore, New York, Los Angeles and Oakland, California ‒ each cities with Democratic mayors in states led by Democratic governors ‒ as potential federal targets.

VP says Trump can send troops into cities without their consent

Vance said Trump would prefer "working in concert" with states and cities. One of two executive orders Trump signed on Aug. 11 directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "coordinate with state governors" to determine whether National Guard troops are needed in their communities.

But the vice president also said Trump has the legal authority to deploy the National Guard to cities whether they want the help or not.

"I think that he could provide it even without their request," Vance said. "But fundamentally, the president ‒ I think right now what he said is ‒ we want to work together with these localities. We want to bring law and order back to American streets."

In DC, which has a unique status as an enclave of the federal government, Trump took additional steps to take over the city's police force under the federal Home Rule Act. But the law requires congressional action to extend presidential authority to command the police department beyond 30 days. Trump has said he will seek such approval from Congress.

"The president's view is that 30 days is probably not enough, if you look at how bad the crime problem has gotten here," Vance said of the administration's efforts in DC.

Trump twice this week suggested some Americans might support the idea of a "dictator" ‒ a label often used by his critics ‒ if it means less crime. "A lot of people are saying maybe we like a dictator," Trump said on Aug. 25. "I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense and a smart person."

Vance, in his interview with USA TODAY, said the administration wants any future deployment of National Guard troops be "driven by the local authorities" to avoid criticism that it's a "dictatorial" takeover.

"We don't want people to stand up before a press conference and accuse the president of being a fascist, accuse the National Guard of being part of some dictatorial coup when in private, they're actually thanking us for bringing law and order back to these communities," Vance said.

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Reach Francesca Chambers on X @fran_chambers and Joey Garrison @joeygarrison.