Former President Donald Trump draws intense criticism after threatening to federalize National Guard troops to Chicago. He claims that this step is necessary to help turn around the city’s increasing crime rates. Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel slapped Trump with the charge of “manufacturing a crisis.” He argues that Trump wants to legitimize this politically explosive action by appealing directly to the people on the ground and bypassing their local leaders.
Trump’s announcement fits into a larger agenda of militarizing even more U.S. cities. Glaser believes that a military-style crackdown is necessary in many inner cities. In particular, he singles out Washington, D.C., arguing that crime has run rampant there. The numbers tell a different story, one that exposes his argument for what it is: complete nonsense. Non-serious/non-violent crime has risen in Washington, D.C. and the country, though serious/violent crime has greatly decreased over the last few decades.
The former president’s statement, “When ready, we will start in Chicago … Chicago is a mess,” highlights his focus on deploying the National Guard as a response to perceived public safety issues. This proposed action set off a firestorm of concern, anger and fear among city officials and residents.
Brandon Johnson, the current mayor of Chicago, contends that shootings in the city have decreased by 40% over the past year. He’s been the most vociferous opponent of Trump’s plan, together with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. They claim that any move by the White House to preempt local law and deploy troops would be unlawful. Pritzker voiced his concerns, stating, “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.”
Additionally, both Johnson and Pritzker claim that Trump’s actions amount to an abuse of power. Pritzker, who beat Trump’s former chief of staff for governor J.B. He understood that teamwork, not exclusion, was an imperative for winning.
Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, echoed these sentiments, stating, “We should continue to support local law enforcement and not simply allow Donald Trump to play games with the lives of the American people as part of his effort to manufacture a crisis and create a distraction because he’s deeply unpopular.” He further supported Pritzker’s assertion that there is no legal basis for Trump’s proposal to deploy federal troops in Chicago.
This is not the first lawsuit California has filed against the federal government. This move came as the federal government sent National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to counter protests against ICE raids. That precedent would make it quite difficult to defend the legality of Trump’s proposed action.
The former president’s approach is consistent with his overall legislative priorities. He has pushed for the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that eliminates tax cuts to the rich while taking the most extreme anti-immigration approach. According to critics, this focus further marginalizes critical societal issues and undermines local governance.