Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said the Trump administration has threatened to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, calling the move “outrageous and un-American.”
Pritzker shared on X that he received an ultimatum from the Department of War: “Call up your troops, or we will.” He vowed to defy the order. “I will not call up our National Guard to further Trump’s acts of aggression against our people,” he wrote, pledging to uphold the Constitution and defend Illinois residents.
Trump Targets Chicago After D.C. Deployment
Trump has signaled since August that Chicago would be next after deploying 800 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., declaring a public safety emergency. “Chicago’s a mess,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting, criticizing the city’s leadership and promising to “straighten that one out probably next.”
City Officials Warn Deployment Could Undermine Progress
Chicago has seen significant reductions in violent crime, including a 30% drop in homicides, according to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office. Johnson cautioned that deploying the National Guard could jeopardize that progress.
Trump Insists Chicago Residents Want Help
Trump claimed Chicagoans were asking for federal intervention, saying, “African American ladies, beautiful ladies are saying, please, President Trump, come to Chicago, please.”
The president recently announced plans to send troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect federal facilities — the latest in a series of city deployments.
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