President Donald Trump is threatening to send National Guard troops to Chicago and other Democratic-run cities, signing an executive order to create a specialized unit to assist local law enforcement in quelling civil disturbances and ensuring public safety.
Trump announced the plan during a statement Monday, citing Chicago as a “disaster” and promising swift action. “We will solve Chicago within one week, maybe less. But within one week we will have no crime in Chicago, just like we have no crime in D.C.,” he said.
The executive order directs the Pentagon to train National Guard troops who would then be deputized to enforce federal law. Trump did not confirm whether troops would be deployed immediately to Chicago, but he also mentioned potential deployments to Baltimore, New York City, and San Francisco.
Nearly two weeks ago, the president deployed more than 2,700 Guard troops to the nation’s capital in what he described as a crime emergency crackdown.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson pushed back against Trump’s threats. “We have made no requests for federal intervention, none,” Pritzker said. He accused the president of attempting to “use the military to occupy a U.S. city, punish his dissidents, and score political points.”
Mayor Johnson echoed the governor’s stance, saying, “As the mayor of the city I can tell you that Chicagoans are not calling for military occupation.” According to city data, violent crime in Chicago has declined dramatically this year compared with the same period last year.
The announcement has sparked a heated debate over the role of the military in domestic law enforcement, particularly in cities governed by political opponents of the president. Legal experts have noted that deploying federal troops in local jurisdictions could raise constitutional questions and concerns about federal overreach.
Trump’s executive order comes amid rising tensions between the White House and several Democratic leaders over crime, policing, and political strategy, setting the stage for what could be a contentious national conversation in the weeks leading up to the November elections.
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