President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he will be deploying the National Guard to Chicago to thwart crime in the near future, no matter how loudly Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) complain about the idea.
The president made the announcement during a press conference from the White House on Tuesday afternoon. Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked the president about his plan for Chicago, right after Trump had talked about using the National Guard to combat lawlessness in Los Angeles earlier this year.
“We’re going in. I didn’t say when we’re going in… look, I have an obligation,” President Trump said. “This isn’t a political thing. I have an obligation.”
A few minutes later, the president added:
“When I watch television last night, and I’m watching the news and I see that nine people were killed in Chicago and 54 were badly wounded with bullets, I say, ‘That’s not our country. We have to do something.’”
On Tuesday, ABC 7 in Chicago reported the carnage had climbed to 58 people who were shot in the city over Labor Day Weekend, including 8 people who were killed.
President Trump’s announcement comes just days after Johnson signed an executive order telling Chicago police to not “collaborate” with federal officials on joint patrols, arrest operations, and immigration law enforcement.