Governor JB Pritzker blasts Trump’s troop plan as “manufacturing a crisis,” warning Chicago deployment could inflame community tensions.
Governor JB Pritzker blasts Trump’s troop plan as “manufacturing a crisis,” warning Chicago deployment could inflame community tensions.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, calling it an “abuse of power” and warning that no emergency justifies such an action.
“There is no emergency that justifies the National Guard being sent to Illinois,” Pritzker said in a statement on Friday. “The president is attempting to manufacture a crisis.”
The move comes after Trump deployed about 2,000 National Guard personnel to Washington, DC another Democrat-led jurisdiction as part of what he describes as a crackdown on violent crime in US cities. Speaking from the White House, Trump said the deployment had brought “total safety” to the capital and hinted at extending the operation to Chicago and New York. “DC was a hellhole, but now it’s safe,” he told reporters after visiting troops in the city.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responded that his administration had received no official information about troop deployment. He warned that any “unlawful deployment” could inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement, undermining progress the city has made in reducing crime. “The president’s approach is uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that National Guard troops patrolling Washington, DC would now be armed, reversing an earlier Pentagon directive that barred them from carrying weapons. The Pentagon said the new order aligned with the Guard’s mission and training, though it remains unclear whether their role will expand beyond support duties. So far, Guardsmen have not engaged in law enforcement but have instead been posted near landmarks such as the National Mall and Union Station.
The Trump administration has praised the crackdown, with Attorney General Pam Bondi reporting more than 700 arrests and the seizure of 91 illegal firearms in Washington. But local leaders dispute the necessity of federal intervention. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has yet to comment on the decision to arm troops, though she previously noted that crime in the city was at a “30-year violent crime low.”
Polls suggest Trump’s strategy is unpopular in the capital. A Washington Post/Schar School survey found that nearly 80% of residents oppose both the deployment of the National Guard and the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Despite the backlash, Trump hinted he may declare a national emergency once the 30-day deployment period expires, giving him authority to keep troops in place indefinitely. “If I think we’re in great shape here, that’s one thing. But if I don’t, I’m just going to say it’s a national emergency,” he said.
Media reports indicate that as many as 1,700 National Guard troops could be mobilised in 19 states in the coming weeks, with Texas expecting the largest deployment. Several Republican-led states, including South Carolina and West Virginia, have already contributed forces. Trump also
said he would ask Congress for $2 billion to “beautify” Washington, even as lawmakers earlier cut the city’s budget by $1.1 billion.
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