(US, 24th) According to US media reports, the Pentagon is drawing up plans to deploy troops to Chicago, in coordination with President Trump’s efforts to strengthen crackdowns on crime, homelessness, and illegal immigration.
Reuters, citing The Washington Post, reported that the plan—under discussion for several weeks—includes a range of options, one of which involves the possible mobilization of thousands of National Guard soldiers as early as September.
On Friday (August 22), Trump criticized the ‘rampant chaos’ in Chicago at a press conference and attacked the city’s mayor, saying, 'Chicago is a mess, and we may make it our next target for rectification.'
The Pentagon responded on Saturday night: ‘We will not speculate on any further actions. As a planning organization, the Department of Defense continues to work with other departments to develop plans to protect federal assets and personnel.’
Illinois Governor Pritzker said the state government had not received any requests for assistance from the federal government, nor was there any emergency situation sufficient to warrant the mobilization of the National Guard or the military. He criticized Trump for 'attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicizing Americans in uniform, and continuing to abuse power to divert public attention from the pain his policies have brought to working families.'
On Friday, Chicago Mayor Johnson’s spokesperson publicly stated that any unauthorized deployment of the National Guard would have a serious impact on the city. He emphasized: 'The President’s approach is disorderly, unnecessary, and unreasonable.' He also pointed out that homicides in Chicago have dropped by more than 30% over the past year, robberies have decreased by 35%, and shooting incidents have nearly fallen by 40%.
In addition to Chicago, last weekend Trump requested three Republican governors to send hundreds of National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C. He described the capital’s public security as 'severely deteriorated,' but Justice Department data shows that Washington’s violent crime rate last year had dropped to its lowest level in 30 years.
In June this year, despite opposition from California’s Democratic governor, Trump also ordered the deployment of 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles to respond to protest activities triggered by large-scale immigration enforcement.
Reuters, citing The Washington Post, reported that the plan—under discussion for several weeks—includes a range of options, one of which involves the possible mobilization of thousands of National Guard soldiers as early as September.
On Friday (August 22), Trump criticized the ‘rampant chaos’ in Chicago at a press conference and attacked the city’s mayor, saying, 'Chicago is a mess, and we may make it our next target for rectification.'
The Pentagon responded on Saturday night: ‘We will not speculate on any further actions. As a planning organization, the Department of Defense continues to work with other departments to develop plans to protect federal assets and personnel.’
Illinois Governor Pritzker said the state government had not received any requests for assistance from the federal government, nor was there any emergency situation sufficient to warrant the mobilization of the National Guard or the military. He criticized Trump for 'attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicizing Americans in uniform, and continuing to abuse power to divert public attention from the pain his policies have brought to working families.'
On Friday, Chicago Mayor Johnson’s spokesperson publicly stated that any unauthorized deployment of the National Guard would have a serious impact on the city. He emphasized: 'The President’s approach is disorderly, unnecessary, and unreasonable.' He also pointed out that homicides in Chicago have dropped by more than 30% over the past year, robberies have decreased by 35%, and shooting incidents have nearly fallen by 40%.
In addition to Chicago, last weekend Trump requested three Republican governors to send hundreds of National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C. He described the capital’s public security as 'severely deteriorated,' but Justice Department data shows that Washington’s violent crime rate last year had dropped to its lowest level in 30 years.
In June this year, despite opposition from California’s Democratic governor, Trump also ordered the deployment of 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles to respond to protest activities triggered by large-scale immigration enforcement.