‘Mr. President, do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here nor needed here,’ Pritzker said.
President Donald Trump said on Aug. 25 that while the federal government “should probably just go in and do it,” he’s not going to send any federal troops to assist with law enforcement in Chicago until he gets a request from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
The president made the comments after he was asked by reporters in the Oval Office whether he was prepared to send the National Guard into American cities for law enforcement without a request from state authorities, a move that would likely be met with court challenges.
Trump said that while he could do it, “we’re just going to have to see what happens,” sparking another question from a reporter about his legal authority to do so.
The president said the city and state authorities should be accepting the help offered by the federal government instead of rejecting it.
Trump said that if he ordered the National Guard to go in, “We will solve Chicago within one week, maybe less. We will have no crime in Chicago, just like we have no crime in D.C.”
Chicago was the nation’s homicide capital in 2024, with 573 murders, according to data compiled by Wirepoints.
The president said he didn’t receive a request from the governor of Illinois, “who is affected more than anyone else.”
“I think until I get that request from that guy, I’m not going to do anything about it. And I feel the same way about crime,” he said.
Pritzker responded to the president’s comments during a press conference in Chicago.
“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.
By Melanie Sun
