Trump says Chicago is next to the National Guard despite a decline in crime
President Donald Trump says Chicago is coming next after deploying troops in DC.
CHICAGO — Police have now established sight in Chicago, following the federal takeover of Washington, DC, to fight “crime, bloodshed, bedram, squalol” by President Donald Trump.
“Chicago is in disarray,” Trump said at an oval office meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino on August 22.
Trump’s comments come at a time when Chicago has seen a massive cut in violent crime, according to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office. The famous mass shooting continues to shake up the city. However, the mayor’s office says overall crime has declined, including a 30% reduction in murders. Johnson said deploying the National Guard could potentially undermine city progress.
“The problem with the president’s approach is that it has not been coordinated, not said and is unhealthy,” the city’s progressive mayor said. “If we know that trust between police and residents is the basis for building a safer community, illegal deployment of the National Guard in Chicago can inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement. Illegal deployments are unsustainable and could undermine the historical progress we have made.”
But the Chicagoans are “screaming for us to come,” Trump said.
“They wear red hats like this, but they wear red hats,” he said. “African American women, beautiful women, President Trump, come to Chicago. Please.”
The president’s comments on Chicago come after he deployed 800 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. on August 11, declared a state of public safety emergency.
Several Republican states, including Ohio, Mississippi, West Virginia and Louisiana, have sent security guards to the capital to support the Trump administration’s efforts. The troops are deployed in tourist-heavy locations such as national malls such as Union Station and Metro stops and transport to assist local law enforcement.
“People don’t gging things”: Illinois Governor
Mayor Johnson pushed back, claiming that the campaign and promises he won were what the Chicagoans wanted.
“When we fully invest in housing, community safety and education, we know that our community is the safest,” the city’s freshman mayor said. “The National Guard will not alleviate the housing crisis. We will not put food in the stomach of one in four children who sleep hungry every night in Chicago. The National Guard will not provide mental health or substance abuse treatment to public schools or Chicagoans in need.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pretzker, Trump’s frequent political sparring partner, has fought back against allegations that Chicago wanted the president to deploy the National Guard. Americans want cheaper groceries, access to healthcare and release Epstein files, Pretzker said in a post on X.
“What people don’t gging: 1. Grab the authoritarian powers of major cities.”
Pretzker has taken a firm stance on the recent deployment of military forces by the White House in democratically led cities, highlighting that the president has no legal authority to send troops without a governor’s sign-off.
“Let’s not lie to the public, you and I know you have no authority to take over Chicago,” the Illinois governor said when Trump increased the likelihood of sending security guards in the beginning of August.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sued the Trump administration over the deployment of thousands of White House national security guards to Los Angeles without the governor’s approval. Newspaper spokesman Diana Croft Perayo said no ruling in the case has been issued yet.
DC police data show crime since the National Guard arrived
After Chicago, Trump said New York was next to him to get “help.”
The Metropolitan Police Department police union said that since the deployment of the units, carjacking in Washington, D.C. has declined by 83%, robbery, car theft, 21%, and overall violent crime has fallen by 22% compared to the past seven days.
According to data from the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime in DC fell 26% until August 8, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. However, following St. Louis, New Orleans and Detroit, the city had the fourth-highest murder rate in a U.S. city at 27.3 per 100,000 people in 2024.
Trump won the winning lap in DC on August 21, and in a meeting with law enforcement, he said his actions made the city “safe.”
