Gov. Jeff Landry took a public swipe at New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno on Friday as the Louisiana National Guard prepares to end its eight-month deployment in the city, accusing the mayor of failing to credit him and President Donald Trump for putting the troops there in the first place.
“I want Louisiana to see this: Helena Moreno has thanked everyone for the National Guard’s presence in New Orleans — except the two people responsible for it: President Donald J. Trump and me,” Landry wrote on Facebook.
The comment followed Moreno thanking members of the Louisiana National Guard and their families as the deployment winds down. The Guard’s last day of operations in New Orleans is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 24, with the deployment officially ending Aug. 31.
“We are incredibly grateful to the men and women of the Louisiana National Guard as they prepare to conclude their eight-month deployment in New Orleans,” Moreno said. She described the Guard as a longtime partner during major events such as Mardi Gras and said the city expects that relationship to continue.
The deployment began shortly after Christmas following months of discussion between Landry and the Trump administration over sending National Guard troops into Louisiana cities. Landry had originally requested authorization for as many as 1,000 troops, citing violent crime and staffing shortages in local law enforcement. The federal government ultimately authorized approximately 350 Louisiana National Guard members under Title 32 orders.
The troops were assigned to support the New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police and other agencies rather than replace them. The stated mission was maintaining a visible security presence, which was meant to mitigate crime, while providing additional manpower around major events. Guardsmen also provided security support during New Year’s Eve, the Sugar Bowl and Carnival season.
The deployment was initially scheduled to end in February. In March, however, the Trump administration authorized a six-month extension requested by Landry, keeping approximately 120 Guard members in New Orleans through the summer.
Of course, everyone has seen the adversarial relationship between the mayor and Governor’s administration over the past two months.
Moreno initially had concerns about a broader National Guard deployment before taking office, but upon taking office she supported continued federal and Guard assistance. The government announced the extension in March, when his office released a statement from Moreno praising the cooperation among the National Guard, Louisiana State Police, NOPD and federal agencies.
“We are grateful to them and our Governor for the collaboration between federal partners, National Guard, Louisiana State Police, and local law enforcement,” Moreno said at the time.
The Guard’s arrival also came during an unusual period for New Orleans crime. Landry and the Trump administration promoted the deployment as another tool for combating violent crime, but many major crime categories had already fallen sharply before the troops arrived. New Orleans witnessed 121 homicides in 2025, down from 266 in 2022. Also, shootings, armed robberies and carjacking largely declined.
The latest exchange comes as the political relationship between Landry and Moreno has grown increasingly contentious in recent months, with the two publicly clashing over the city’s finances, state cooperation and other issues. Landry said in July that “New Orleans thinks they’re so special” amid questions about whether he would meet directly with Moreno.
