What happens when a president tries to send troops into a city that says it doesn’t want them?
That’s the showdown brewing between Donald Trump and Democratic leaders in Illinois.
Governor JB Pritzker blasted Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, calling it “an abuse of power.”
He accused the president of “manufacturing a crisis.”
Chicago’s mayor, Brandon Johnson, went further—saying he hasn’t even been formally notified.
He warned that an “unlawful deployment” could unravel progress in reducing crime.
His words were sharp: “uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound.”
What’s The Reason?
Trump insists the troops are needed. In Washington DC—where about 2,000 Guardsmen are already patrolling.
He claims the mission brought “total safety.” He described the city as a “hellhole.”
But residents aren’t buying it. Polls show nearly 80% oppose the move.
Even more controversial, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has now ordered the Guardsmen to carry weapons.
This reverses earlier Pentagon assurances they would remain unarmed.
So far, troops haven’t joined police in making arrests; instead, they’ve been stationed at landmarks like Union Station.
But with Trump hinting at declaring a national emergency to extend deployments, critics fear a dangerous precedent.
As one local put it: when the cure feels riskier than the problem, maybe it’s not really about safety at all.
