(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump has said he is willing to send the National Guard to Chicago to help with crime but that Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker won’t admit there are problems in the city.
“He goes, ‘We don’t need his help,'” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. “Crime in D.C. was the worst it ever was. We’ve worked so hard. We’ve taken over a thousand criminals. … He should be calling me and saying, ‘Can you send over the troops?'”
Pritzker has called Trump’s plan to bring in the National Guard unconstitutional.
During a ceremony Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed Trump’s comments, saying Chicago is not going to “police its way out of violence” and that other methods are needed outside of just policing.
Trump hit back, saying that Johnson’s approval rating is low and that Black women in Chicago have been calling for his help to come into Chicago, saying they “don’t want their sons and daughters killed.”
Some lawmakers NewsNation spoke to said they would welcome federal help in bringing crime down but doubt that it’s Trump’s motive. Pritzker said he has not had any conversations with Trump on coordination to bring in the National Guard and that it’s a clear indication that he has ulterior motives.
“This is not about fighting crime, this is about Donald Trump searching for any justification to deploy the military in a blue city in a blue state to try and intimidate his political rivals,” Pritzker said.
Illinois AG Kwame Raoul told Blake Burman on “The Hill” that the state is ready to accept federal assistance, but deploying the National Guard would not be justified.
While Chicago is referenced as the “murder capital” of America, crime is going down in nearly every category from murder to vehicle theft. Some residents say with crime going down, there is no need for troop deployment, and instead want to see more funding toward crime prevention initiatives.
However, one group in Chicago is welcoming the idea of troops coming into the city. Conservative advocacy group Chicago Flips Red says the city’s neighborhoods are out of control.
“When crime is down, the citizens are going to tell you that, because we are going to feel safe,” Danielle Carter-Walters with Chicago Flips Red told NewsNation. “We’re out in the streets, boots on the ground so this is our experience. So when we no longer have four mass shootings in the span of one month, we will tell you we’re safe.”