Illinois Gov. Pritzker says Trump administration plans to federalize the National Guard

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker warned that President Donald Trump’s administration plans to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard. 

“Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker wrote on X on Saturday, Oct. 4. “It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.”

Pritzker said he would be defying the suggestion.

“I will not call up our National Guard to further Trump’s acts of aggression against our people,” he said. “Illinois, we will do everything within our power to look out for our neighbors, uphold the Constitution, and defend the rule of law.”

The president had been saying since August that Chicago would be next in line after he deployed 800 National Guard troops in Washington, DC, on Aug. 11, declaring a public safety emergency.

“Chicago’s a mess,” said Trump during a meeting at the Oval Office with FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Aug. 22. “You have an incompetent mayor. Grossly incompetent. We’ll straighten that one out probably next. That’ll be our next one after this.”

Trump’s comments come at a point where Chicago has seen significant reductions in violent crime, according to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office. High-profile mass shootings continue to rock the city. But overall crime has declined, including a 30% drop in homicides, the mayor’s office said. Deploying the National Guard could potentially undermine the city’s progress, Johnson said.

Chicagoans “are screaming for us to come,” Trump said.

“They’re wearing red hats just like this one. But they’re wearing red hats,” he said. “African American ladies, beautiful ladies are saying, please, President Trump, come to Chicago, please.”

Last week, the president announced that he would be sending troops to Portland, Oregon to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, in the latest deployment of forces to a U.S. city.

This story has been updated to include new information.