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Trump also pointed to overwhelming support from black voters in the city, saying, “They’re wearing red hats, just like this one. But they’re wearing red hats. African-American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, ‘please, President Trump, come to Chicago.’ Please. I did great with the black vote, as you know.”
Johnson’s office initially argued that Trump’s move to send in the National Guard would be “unlawful.” But in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday, Johnson escalated his rhetoric and called on residents to resist the Trump Administration.
“And so, you know, look, we’re going to remain firm. We’ll take legal action. But the people of this city are accustomed to rising up against tyranny,” Johnson told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart. “And if that’s necessary, I believe that the people of Chicago will stand firm alongside of me as I work every single day to protect the people of this city.”
The call to “rise up” raises serious questions about who exactly will back Johnson. Polling shows the mayor is facing record-low approval ratings, sitting at just 26 percent — a reflection of widespread discontent with his leadership as crime continues to plague Chicago.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker rushed to Johnson’s defense, accusing the president of “manufacturing” a crisis in Chicago. “Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he’s causing families. We’ll continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect Illinoisans,” Pritzker said.
Despite protests from Illinois Democrats, the Trump Administration is not backing down. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News that preparations for a deployment to Chicago are already underway and that planning has been ongoing “for weeks.”
This is not the first time Trump has turned to the National Guard to bring order to a city. Earlier this summer, the president federalized the California National Guard following days of unrest after immigration enforcement raids. California attempted to block the deployment with an emergency lawsuit — and lost.
As a result, roughly 800 National Guard troops and Marine Corps personnel remain stationed in California, where they continue operations under Secretary Hegseth’s authority. The same outcome could soon be playing out in Chicago, whether Johnson and Pritzker like it or not.
Chicago has always been a corrupt city. The crime that is there has to be cleaned up once and for all.