Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday railed against President Donald Trump for suggesting he would deploy federal forces to Chicago, accusing the administration of “searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities and end elections.
” “If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is, a dangerous power grab,” Pritzker said at a press conference in Chicago, flanked by an array of city leaders including Mayor Brandon Johnson. Pritzker also said that the administration had failed to contact his office or the mayor ahead of the reported deployment, and he slammed the lack of coordination.
“If this was really about fighting crime and making the streets safe, what possible justification could the White House have for planning such an exceptional action without any conversations or consultations with the governor, the mayor, or the police?” Pritzker said.
The administration’s plans for Chicago, first reported by the Washington Post, would be different from the ongoing law enforcement crackdown in Washington, DC, where Trump and in turn the federal government have more leeway in directing troops and a range of federal authorities. Instead, the administration’s future plans, including in Chicago, are expected to look like Trump’s deployment of the National Guard earlier this summer to Los Angeles to quell immigration protests, sources previously told CNN.
Trump signed an executive order Monday tasking Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth with establishing “specialized units” in the National Guard that will be “specifically trained and equipped to deal with public order issues” — the clearest sign yet he intends to expand the US military’s domestic role. Pritzker fired back at criticism that Trump directed his way during the executive order signing earlier Monday, when the president remarked that “I have some slob like Pritzker criticizing us before we even go there.”
“Earlier today in the Oval Office, Donald Trump looked at the assembled cameras and asked for me personally to say, Mr. President, can you do us the honor of protecting our city? Instead? I say, Mr. President, do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here nor needed here,” Pritzker said.
