The Trump Administration has reportedly hatched a plan to send thousands of National Guard troops to Chicago – possibly in a matter of days.
The Pentagon has been planning to deploy military forces to Chicago for weeks as part of the president’s efforts to address crime, and this could start as soon as September, according to official sources, as reported by The Washington Post.
On Friday, Donald Trump suggested that Chicago might receive similar measures to those implemented in Washington, DC, where he placed 2,000 troops on the streets.
‘I think Chicago will be our next,’ Trump said to reporters at the White House, referring to the city as a ‘mess’ and asserting that its residents are ‘screaming for us to come.’
Sources mentioned that the operation would likely coordinate with heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer efforts to deport undocumented migrants.
If endorsed, the initiative would replicate Trump’s previous deployment of 4,000 National Guard members from California and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles in June after anti-ICE riots erupted.
The sources claimed that the use of thousands of active-duty troops in Chicago has also been discussed, but seems unlikely.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, the Pentagon said, ‘We won’t speculate on further operations.’
A report suggests that the Pentagon has been making preparations for a military deployment to Chicago, as Trump indicated the city might be the next focus of his anti-crime strategy.
Trump indicated that the Midwestern city could receive similar treatment to what he’s done in Washington, D.C., where he’s deployed 2,000 troops on the streets (pictured)
‘The Department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the White House and the National Guard for more information.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his office has not received formal communication from the Trump administration about military or federal law enforcement deployments in Chicago but said ‘we have grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops.’
Johnson called Trump’s approach ‘uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound,’ arguing it ‘has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement.’
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also said that he has not been contacted by the federal government and accused the president of ‘manufacturing’ a crisis.
‘The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention,’ Pritzker said.
‘The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority. There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders.
‘Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.’
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (pictured) said his office has not received formal communication from the Trump administration about deployments
Trump has claimed victory in the troop deployment to Washington and on Friday, began to tease where else he might use federal help.
‘When we’re ready we’ll go in and we’ll straighten out Chicago, just like we did DC,’ Trump told reporters Friday afternoon during a World Cup event.
The president indicated that the plan wasn’t fully in action, as he hadn’t yet reached out to Johnson. However, he did call the Democrat names in the Oval Office.
‘Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor. Grossly incompetent and we’ll straighten that one out probably next, that will be our next one after this and it won’t even be tough,’ Trump said.
‘And the people in Chicago, Mr. Vice President, are screaming for us to go. They’re wearing red hats, just like this one. But they’re wearing red hats.’
The president was sporting a ‘Trump Was Right About Everything’ red ball cap and standing alongside Vice President J.D. Vance, who was screamed at by angry D.C. residents this week amid a visit to Union Station to check on the National Guard troops stationed there.
Despite polling reflecting the opposite, Trump pushed that his federal intervention in major Democratic cities was wanted.
‘African-American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, ‘Please, President Trump, come to Chicago,” the president continued.
Trump has claimed victory in the troop deployment to Washington and on Friday, began to tease where else he might use federal help
He added that he did ‘great’ with the black vote.
‘So I think Chicago will be our next and then we’ll help with New York,’ he said.
On August 11, Trump announced that he was federalizing D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, which he has the authority to do temporarily under Washington’s Home Rule Act – which gives the city a mayor and city council, but not full statehood.
That means Washingtonians don’t have voting representation in Congress.
Trump also sent in National Guard members to combat crime after a former DOGE employee, nicknamed ‘Big Balls,’ was assaulted by teenagers during a botched carjacking attempt off of D.C.’s popular 14th Street.
Because D.C. is a federal district, Trump commands the District’s National Guard.
