Reiterating a warning that both Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have stated would be unlawful, President Donald Trump on Friday hinted that federal troops may be sent to Chicago as part of his efforts to combat crime.
Despite D.C. officials’ claims that crime is declining, Trump said during a news conference in the Oval Office on Friday that Chicago could be treated similarly to Washington, D.C., where nearly 2,000 National Guard troops have been sent in to combat what his administration has called a spike in violent crime.
Trump referred to Johnson when he said, “Chicago is a mess, you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we will straighten that one out next.” After this, that will be our next one, and it won’t even be difficult.
Johnson claimed in a statement Friday afternoon that sending federal troops to Chicago would be illegal and would impede the city’s efforts to lower violence.
In response to President Trump’s comments of attacking Chicago, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also issued a statement on Friday:
We will expose Donald Trump’s attempts to sow disarray in an effort to divert attention from his issues. Trump and the Republican Party are attempting to divert attention from the suffering that working people endure as a result of tariffs that increase the cost of necessities and deprive millions of Americans of access to food and healthcare.
Trump is now publicly toying with the concept of annexing more states and cities after testing his dictatorial overreach in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Trump wants to undermine current public safety initiatives and sow fear in our communities in order to justify greater abuses of his authority. He is putting on a show and playing a game that the media will follow.
In Illinois, we don’t play those games. Our dedication to maintaining law and order is yielding tangible outcomes. The rate of crime is declining. Chicago has seen a more than 30% decrease in homicides in just the past year. The Trump Administration is cutting funds for neighborhood violence reduction programs that have helped us reduce crime.
Because they also reside here, our state and local law enforcement colleagues are familiar with our streets and neighborhoods. They are not requesting this, and as always, we will listen to them and work with them. We will uphold our state’s sovereignty and obey the law because the safety of the people of Illinois is my first priority.
