DA Larry Krasner takes more shots at Trump as he’s sworn in to third term amid major drop in crime

When Larry Krasner was sworn in to his second term as district attorney four years ago, Philadelphia was in a public safety crisis: Murders and shootings were at an all-time high and the homicide clearance rate was at a historic low.

On Monday, Krasner was inaugurated to a third, four-year term in remarkably different circumstances. The city in 2025 recorded the fewest homicides in 59 years, and police are solving killings at the highest rate in more than 40 years.

Krasner, 64, took the oath of office alongside his wife, former Common Pleas Court Judge Lisa M. Rau, and one of his two sons inside the grand auditorium of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

More than two dozen city judges, as well as City Controller Christy Brady, were also sworn in.

Krasner is now one of the longest-serving district attorneys in modern Philadelphia history. Lynne M. Abraham, the tough-on-crime Democrat who in the 1990s was dubbed “deadliest DA” by the New York Times because she so frequently sought the death penalty, is the only other top prosecutor in the city to serve more than two terms.

Krasner cruised to reelection in November after handily defeating former Municipal Court Judge Patrick F. Dugan with about 75% of the vote. Krasner’s campaign often focused more on attacking President Donald Trump than specifying what, if anything, he might do differently with another four years.

He struck similar tones on Monday.

Across a nearly 20-minute speech, Krasner did not lay out a coming agenda, saying that was “not for today,” but instead recounted what he said were his accomplishments over the last eight years: building what he said was a more morally intact staff, investing in forensic advancements to help take down violent gangs, and providing grants to community organizations.

“It will be headed towards more safety. It will be headed towards more freedom,” he said of his office in the next four years.

And he took a few shots at Trump.

“Sometimes people ask me, ‘Why are you talking about Trump so much? Why do you keep bringing up Trump?’” he said.

While City Council members and state lawmakers have “tremendous power,” he said, “they don’t have the obligation, as I just swore in front of you, to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States from someone ... whose intent is, without question, the overthrow of democracy in the United States of America.”

He also noted that Trump has not deployed the National Guard to Philadelphia, as the president has done in other Democratic cities like Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and seemed to acknowledge Cherelle L. Parker’s hotly debated strategy of avoiding confrontation with Trump.

“If that has any part in the reality that we have not seen Trump’s troops, Trump’s tanks in the City of Philadelphia — I don’t know if it does or not, but if it has anything to do with that, then I’m glad, and I intend to work closely, always, with other elected officials.”

Parker, who earlier congratulated Krasner in her introductory remarks, stared ahead stoically during his comments about Trump.

Krasner ended by promising to continue making Philadelphia safer, and then returned to one of his favorite themes.

“We all got to this point of achievement together, and this is no time to retreat. It is no time to surrender. It is time to push on so that Philadelphia goes from being known as chronically violent to being known as consistently safe for decades to come,” he said.

“And if anybody — including the guy in D.C. — doesn’t want that, if they want to F around, then they’re gonna find out.”