Trump Announces the Department of Justice's Model Cities Initiative, Jun. 3, 2026
June 3, 2026 · The White House · 0:01:57
Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube
What happened
In a recorded announcement published by the White House on June 3, 2026, President Donald Trump announced a new Justice Department program. “At my direction, the Department of Justice is beginning what we’re calling the Model Cities Initiative to slash violent crime in major metropolitan areas all across our country,” he said. “In selected cities, the Department of Justice will provide $300 million in grants to hire police officers, modernize equipment, provide training, and improve law enforcement. This historic funding will go to confronting substance abuse, preventing youth crime, and combating repeat offenders.”
He set the eligibility terms on camera: “For the next 90 days, any city or local government representing a population of more than 100,000 people can apply to take part in this exciting new program,” directing applicants to justice.gov/grants. He framed the initiative against the administration’s crime record as he stated it — the murder rate’s “single largest decline ever recorded, falling to the lowest level in 125 years,” and fentanyl flows across the border reduced “by 60%.”
Why it matters
The announcement converts the administration’s crime-decline claims into a dated, funded offer to cities: a fixed application window, a population threshold, and a named grants portal. On the Justice & Crime hub it is the point at which the public-safety pitch becomes a program cities can be tracked as accepting or declining.
Scoreboard watch
This is a candidate item for the weekly scoreboard: $300 million in grants, a 90-day application window from June 3, 2026, and the 100,000-population threshold — each checkable against the Department of Justice’s published grant solicitation and awards.
Sources: The White House, “President Donald J. Trump announces the Department of Justice’s Model Cities Initiative,” June 3, 2026 (official upload, embedded above). All figures and characterizations as stated by the President in the announcement.
On this page