(Washington) President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would order the intervention of the federal police to combat crime in Chicago and Baltimore, despite the opposition of local officials from the two cities.
Questioned by journalists in the oval office on his decision to send troops from the National Guard to Chicago, Donald Trump replied that “we intervene”, but he added that he “did not specify when”.
“I have an obligation,” said the president. It is not a political affair. »»
The tenant of the White House has already deployed troops of the National Guard in Washington and federalized the capital’s police.
More recently, he stressed that he provided similar actions in other cities, including those led by Democratic leaders.
The president congratulated the mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, for his collaboration with the federal forces, but criticized the Democratic Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, who said that crime in Chicago did not require federal intervention.
The American president said that he would like JB Pritzker to call him to tell him “send the troops”, even if the governor repeatedly repeated that he would not.
Photo Kiichiro Sato, Associated Press Archives
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
“If the governor of Illinois calls me, call me, I would be delighted to do so,” said Trump. We will do it anyway. We have the right. »»
Mr. Pritzker judged that Donald Trump’s words appeal to the help were “insane”.
“No, I will not call the president to ask him to send troops to Chicago,” he said from his downtown office. I have already said it clearly. »»
Trump added that he had “the obligation to protect this country, and that includes Baltimore”.
Local officials joined the Maryland Democratic Governor, Wes Moore, in their opposition similar to the intervention of the Federal police.
Photo Stephanie Scarbrough, Associated Press Archives
The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore
The president argued that his efforts in Washington have made this city “a safe area. We have no crime ”.
The White House announced separately Tuesday that more than 1,650 people were arrested since the Trump administration mobilized the federal authorities for the first time on August 7.
“And this city was really bad,” said Trump, who added that he was “really proud” of federal efforts aimed at reducing crime to Washington.
An appeal deemed illegal
Photo Richard Vogel, Associated Press Archives
Protesters face the Californian National Guard soldiers in front of a federal building in downtown Los Angeles on June 14, 2025.
Earlier in the day, a judge determined that the deployment of the National Guard by the Trump administration during demonstrations against immigration control in California was illegal.
Justice Charles Breyer ruled on Tuesday that the administration of President Donald Trump had violated the federal law by sending troops to accompany federal agents during roundups aimed at the detention of illegal immigrants. However, the judge did not demand the withdrawal of the remaining troops.
The state of California brought legal action, saying that the troops sent to Los Angeles this summer violated a law prohibiting the military application of national laws.
Lawyers of the Republican Administration argued that the Law Posse Comitatus did not apply, because the troops protected federal agents and not agents responsible for enforcing the laws. They claim that the troops were mobilized under an authority which allows the president to deploy them.
