- U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago and potentially Baltimore, citing high crime rates, despite opposition from local and state officials.
- Trump has publicly criticized local leadership in Chicago and Baltimore, calling the cities “hellholes” and Chicago “the world’s most dangerous city.”
- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott opposed the plan, calling it unnecessary and politically motivated.
- Chicago’s homicide rate was 21.7 per 100,000 in 2024, among the highest in the U.S. that year, though violent crime has declined significantly in early 2025.
- Trump has already deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. However, a federal judge recently deemed the California deployment illegal.
Trump Plans to Send National Guard Troops to Chicago
