Trump Has No Legal Ability To Send Troops To Chicago, Pritzker Says As National Guard Called In D.C.

President Trump announced on Monday the deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D. C. , to address rising crime rates, while suggesting that cities like Chicago could be next for similar federal intervention. Governor JB Pritzker responded by rejecting Trump's authority to send troops to Chicago, invoking the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts federal troops from engaging in domestic law enforcement. Trump criticized both Mayor Brandon Johnson and Pritzker as incompetent leaders, despite Chicago's recent decline in violent crime, including a 32 percent drop in robberies and a 39 percent decrease in shootings.

Through August 9, the city recorded 246 murders, down from 359 in the same timeframe in 2024. Pritzker emphasized ongoing legal disputes over the federal troop deployment in Los Angeles, which was initially ruled illegal but permitted to continue by an appeals court. He warned that Trump's actions could threaten constitutional governance, comparing the situation to Nazi Germany's rapid dismantling of democracy in the 1930s. Pritzker's criticism of Trump has intensified as he considers a presidential run in 2028. Johnson also urged Trump to focus on restoring anti-violence funding instead of deploying the National Guard.