Trump admin compares Delhi’s ‘low’ crime rate to Chicago amid National Guard deployment buzz

US President Donald Trump’s administration defended his push to deploy the National Guard in American cities to curb violent crime, drawing a comparison between Chicago’s murder rate and that of New Delhi.

The White House insisted that federal intervention in Democrat-run cities is essential for public safety, while Democrats dismissed the move as vendetta politics.

Trump has already sent the Guard into Washington, DC, and California, and suggested Chicago could be next. “We will make other cities safe, too. Chicago is a mess. That will probably be our next one,” he said, adding that residents have been urging him to step in.

NEW: @PressSec Karoline Leavitt lays out Chicago’s staggering crime stats:

“We’ve been seeing the governor of Illinois parading out there and saying that there’s nothing wrong with Chicago… He doesn’t need President Trump’s help.”

“Just last year, Chicago’s murder rate per… pic.twitter.com/GHBHuzSrKZ

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 28, 2025

At a press briefing on Friday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cited city statistics showing Chicago’s homicide rate at 25.5 per 100,000 residents in 2024—15 times higher than New Delhi’s 1.48. She presented a White House chart comparing murder rates across 11 global capitals, with Washington ranked highest and New Delhi ninth.

Leavitt pointed out that Chicago has recorded the most murders of any US city for 13 consecutive years, blaming illegal guns and low arrest rates.

“Only 16 per cent of nearly 148,000 reported crimes this year have led to arrests. That’s unacceptable,” she said. On the recent Minneapolis school shooting, she added, “Any rational person knows it’s not a gun thing. We know it’s a mental health issue.”

She also lashed out at Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for rejecting federal help, saying it remains a “priority of this administration to ensure that America’s cities are safe again.” Trump later attacked Pritzker on Truth Social: “Governor Pritzker had 6 murders in Chicago this weekend. 20 people were shot. But he doesn’t want to ask me for help. Can this be possible? The people are desperate for me to STOP THE CRIME, something the Democrats aren’t capable of doing. STAY TUNED!!!”