Trump Declares ‘We’re Going In’—Chicago On Notice As National Guard Plans Imminent
President Donald Trump made a forceful declaration Tuesday: the violence in Chicago has gone on long enough—and the federal government is preparing to act, with or without cooperation from Democratic leaders in Illinois.
After another bloody Labor Day weekend in which nearly 60 people were shot and at least nine killed, Trump told reporters, “We’re going in. I didn’t say when we’re going in. … This isn’t a political thing. I have an obligation.” The comment followed days of speculation about whether Trump would deploy the National Guard to America’s most violent city.
Under Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago has recorded 572 homicides so far in 2024, making it the deadliest city in the U.S. by total homicides for the 13th year in a row. But despite soaring violence, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has refused to request federal assistance. He’s repeatedly dismissed Trump’s offers of help, saying there’s “no emergency” and claiming, “We’re succeeding.”
The Trump White House blasted that response. “Despite pleas from residents, members of the city council, and even MSNBC, Pritzker is too blinded by Trump Derangement Syndrome to take action in the best interest of his constituents and end the bloodshed,” the administration said in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s message to Chicagoans and residents in Democrat-run cities nationwide is simple: you don’t have to live like this.”
Chicago’s mayor also ramped up defiance over the weekend, declaring at a Labor Day rally, “No federal troops in the city of Chicago. No militarized force in the city of Chicago. We’re going to defend our democracy.”
Trump isn’t buying it. “If Pritzker would call me up, I would love to do it. Now, we’re going to do it anyway,” Trump said. “We have the right to do it. Because I have an obligation to protect this country, and that includes Baltimore… Baltimore’s a very unsafe place.”
Sources say the Pentagon has been quietly preparing a National Guard mobilization plan for Chicago for weeks. A similar strategy was used earlier this year in Washington, D.C., where federal forces restored order following a wave of violence near ICE facilities.
Whether the Illinois governor cooperates or not, Trump made clear: the days of turning a blind eye to lawlessness are over.