Trump, Pritzker Trade Barbs Over Threat To Send National Guard To Chicago

CHICAGO — President Donald Trump is hinting that he may deploy federal law enforcement to patrol the streets of Chicago in the near future. During a press conference Friday, Trump lauded his administration's recent decision to send the National Guard to perform civilian law enforcement in Washington, D.C., before announcing his plans locally.

"Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent," Trump said in the Oval Office. "We're going to straighten that one out, probably next. It won't even be tough. The people in Chicago are screaming for us to come."

Gov. JB Pritzker held a news conference Monday in response to Trump's plans to send the National Guard to Chicago.

"Memphis, Tennessee, Hattiesburg, Mississippi have higher crime rates than Chicago, yet Donald Trump is sending troops here and not there. Ask yourself why," Pritzker said. "If Donald Trump was actually serious about fighting crime in cities like Chicago, he, along with his congressional Republicans, would not be cutting over $800 million in public safety and crime prevention grants nationally."

Pritzker said that Trump has cut $158 million to Illinois for violence prevention programs that deploy trained outreach workers to deescalate conflict on the streets. He added that Trump has also cut $71 million in law enforcement grants to the state.

Earlier in the day, Trump took some jabs at Pritzker amid the governor saying Illinois would sue the administration if troops are sent to Chicago, reports Fox32 Chicago.

"In a certain way, you really want to be asked to go. You know?" Trump said. "I’d hate to barge in on a city and then be treated horribly by corrupt politicians and bad politicians like a guy like Pritzker. He ought to spend more time in the gym, actually. The guy is a disaster."

Trump also called Pritzker a "slob," prompting the governor to fire back, "From my perspective, it takes one to know one on the weight question. The president himself is not in good shape. He ought to respond to that from me."

On Aug. 11, Trump activated the National Guard to "support local and federal law enforcement efforts aimed at restoring order in the District of Columbia," according to the agency. Officials said the move "aligns" with Trump's executive order declaring a crime emergency. As of Saturday, over 1,900 Guardsmen from the D.C. National Guard, West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee are assisting the District and federal government agencies.

"The National Guard has done such a wonderful job, working with the police. We haven't had to bring in the regular military, which we're willing to do," Trump said.

NBC News is reporting the National Guard troops in Washington began carrying firearms as of Sunday evening.

Trump also said New York City would be the next city targeted for National Guard deployment after Chicago.

"They're wearing red hats (supporting Trump)," Trump said of Chicago residents. "African American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, 'President Trump, please come to Chicago.' I did great with the Black vote, as you know, and they want something happening."

But on Monday, Trump seemed to hedge when asked about his plan to send troops to Chicago, NPR reported. "I didn't get a request from the governor," he said. "Illinois is affected maybe more than anybody else. And I think until I get that request from that guy, I'm not going to do anything about it."

Pritzker said Friday the state of Illinois has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if assistance is needed, and his office has made no requests for federal intervention.

"Donald Trump's threat to bring the National Guard to Chicago isn't about safety — it's a test of the limits of his power and a trial run for a police state," Pritzker said on X. "Illinois has long worked with federal law enforcement to tackle crime, but we won't let a dictator impose his will."

During his news conference, Trump told reporters, "'He’s a dictator. He’s a dictator.' A lot of people are saying, ‘Maybe we’d like a dictator.’ I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator."

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul also lambasted Trump's comments about Chicago on Friday, claiming the president's numbers about crime in the city don't add up.

"In fact, violent crimes have decreased in the city of Chicago over the last year," Raoul said. "But instead of dedicating more resources to that work, the president is focused on turning our military on American citizens in his ongoing attempts to move our nation toward authoritarianism. His actions are not just un-American. They are unwise strategically."

The Hill is reporting Trump will sign an executive order Monday aimed at ending cashless bail policies in Washington, D.C. Illinois adopted the Pretrial Fairness Act (part of the SAFE-T Act) in 2023, becoming the first state in the U.S. to eliminate cash bail. The new executive order threatens to revoke federal funding for cities and states that have cashless bail policies.

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