FIle photo: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (Picture credit: AP)
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy the National Guard to the city, calling the plan “uncoordinated, uncalled for and unsound”.Speaking on Friday, Trump described Chicago as “a mess” and singled out Johnson as “an incompetent mayor.” He said Chicago could be the “next” city to face a federal crackdown following Washington, DC, where about 2,000 National Guard troops have already been deployed. “The people in Chicago … are screaming for us to come,” Trump said, adding that action would begin “when we’re ready.”As quoted by NBC Chicago, Johnson dismissed those remarks, insisting the city has seen sharp crime declines without military intervention. “We have grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops to the City of Chicago,” the mayor said in a statement. He warned that such a move “has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust … is foundational to building safer communities.”Johnson noted the city has seen a 30% drop in homicides, 35% in robberies, and nearly 40% in shootings over the past year. “We need to continue to invest in what is working,” Johnson said, highlighting investments in housing, education, and community safety initiatives. “The National Guard will not alleviate the housing crisis… It will not fully fund our public schools or provide mental healthcare… The National Guard is no substitute for dedicated local law enforcement and community violence interrupters.”Johnson stated that if Trump aims to enhance safety in the city, he ought to reinstate the $158 million he eliminated from violence-prevention initiatives for cities like Chicago.”There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them,” he said.As per news agency AP, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also criticised Trump’s plan, arguing the Posse Comitatus Act prevents such use of federal troops. “It’s clear to me he does not have the legal right or ability to do that,” he said earlier this month.Democratic Senator Dick Durbin called Trump’s tactics “political theatre,” while Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Army National Guard veteran, accused him of misusing the military to “intimidate Americans in our own communities.”As per The New York Times, Trump has greater control in Washington due to its federal status, but his authority in Chicago is more limited. Analysts note he could still attempt to send in federal law enforcement or invoke the Insurrection Act, a move previously floated but never used.
