CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois officials voiced their concerns on Saturday following a report suggesting President Donald Trump is planning to send federal troops to Chicago shortly.
The Washington Post’s report prompted state officials to criticize Trump’s intended extension of his crime-fighting measures, similar to his previous deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C.
The Pentagon, as per The Washington Post, has been strategizing a military presence in Chicago for several weeks. The report notes that this plan might include various approaches, with possibly a few thousand National Guard members being sent to Chicago as early as next month.
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“The Washington Post’s report tonight indicating that President Trump is set to deploy federal troops in Chicago confirms what we already suspect: he is driven to instigate chaos for political gain, irrespective of the damage caused,” Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton expressed in a statement. “In my role as Lieutenant Governor and throughout my career, I’ve been a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform, and under the Pritzker-Stratton administration, we’ve achieved significant progress. Crime rates in Chicago are decreasing, and there’s no justification for this move, other than to divert attention from the suffering Trump’s harmful policies inflict on working families. Governor Pritzker and I are steadfast in defending your rights and freedoms, shielding you from any storms of hate and fear that may arise.”
“Currently, the State of Illinois has neither received any requests from the federal government for assistance nor solicited federal intervention,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker stated. “The safety of Illinois residents is my ultimate priority. No situation justifies the U.S. President’s federalizing of the Illinois National Guard, deploying National Guard units from other states, or introducing active military within our borders. Donald Trump is fabricating a crisis, politicizing military service members, and misusing his power to sidetrack from the distress he is causing to working families. We will abide by the law, uphold our state’s sovereignty, and protect the citizens of Illinois.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke at a block party earlier Saturday, addressing crime in the city.
“Even one shooting, one homicide is excessive, and this block club today represents the effort needed,” Johnson remarked. “Survey the youth and families present today—they represent the true essence of Chicago. The federal narrative is misleading. Here, we care for each other, support each other, embrace each other, and invest in each other, acknowledging that we are our greatest protectors.”
On Friday, Trump said Chicago will likely be the next target of his efforts to crack down on crime, homelessness and illegal immigration while speaking in the Oval Office.
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.
“I think Chicago will be our next,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding, “And then we’ll help with New York.”
Trump has repeatedly described some of the nation’s largest cities – run by Democrats, with Black mayors and majority-minority populations – as dangerous and filthy.
He singled out Chicago on Friday, calling it a “mess” and saying residents there are “screaming for us to come.”
“We’ll straighten that one out probably next. That will be our next one after this,” Trump said.
The president, who was sitting in the Oval Office and wearing a red hat that said, “Trump Was Right About Everything,” claimed people in Chicago are “wearing red hats just like this one.”
He added, “African American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, ‘Please, President Trump, come to Chicago, please.'”
ABC7 Chief Legal Analyst Gil Soffer told the ABC7 I-Team while an action like activating the National Guard likely would be challenged in court, the seldom used strategy of deploying National Guard troops is becoming more and more common.
“Until a year ago, you could count on one hand the number of times that the National Guard has been activated, federalized,” Soffer said. “We’ve already now seen it happen in Los Angeles. There’s a threat to make it happen in Chicago. It could happen beyond that.”
On Friday, Mayor Brandon Johnson responding in a statement to Trump, saying, “The problem with the President’s approach is that it is uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound.”
Other city leaders say Trump’s motives have nothing to do with bringing down crime, calling it a political stunt.
The president called Chicago a very dangerous place, but crime data from Chicago police analyzed by the ABC7 data team shows that year to date totals compared to last year show overall crime is down 13%, violent crime is down 23%, and property crimes are down 11%.
The mayor said Friday the city’s legal team is already preparing.
ABC7 has reached out to Mayor’s Johnson’s office Saturday for a comment following the statements from Pritzker and Stratton on The Washington Post report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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