Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told a Labor Day rally crowd that the city must be prepared to “defend” itself from President Donald Trump’s proposal to send National Guard troops into Chicago to address violent crime.
Trump said last month that he intends to deploy federal troops to Chicago, similar to his recent move in Washington, DC, with the goal of deterring crime and assisting local law enforcement. A recent report by the Washington Post indicated that the Pentagon has been planning a Chicago deployment for weeks.
“Everybody knows Chicago is a hellhole right now,” Trump said on August 26.
In response, Johnson rejected the idea of federal involvement, calling for “no federal troops in the city of Chicago.”
“No militarized force in the city of Chicago. We’re going to defend our democracy in the city of Chicago. We’re going to protect the humanity of every single person in the city of Chicago. And we got the baddest freaking labor movement in the city of Chicago, birthed right here,” Johnson said. “We’re gonna take this fight across America but we gotta defend our home front first.”
The mayor’s remarks came days after he signed an executive order barring city police from cooperating with federal authorities if troops are sent.
Trump continued his rhetoric on Tuesday, posting on social media about Chicago’s ongoing crime crisis.
“At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 8 people were killed. The last two weekends were similar,” Trump pointed out. “Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far. [Governor JB Pritzker] needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet. I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, and soon.”
