Recommendations of the Editorial team
According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon and Trump have been preparing plans to send the military to Chicago for weeks. The measure would be part of Donald Trump’s democratically ruled cities. Dhe procedure in Chicago could serve as a blueprint for similar missions in other cities.
Trump threatens Baltimore
Military leaders discussed several scenarios, including the use of thousands of national guards in September. The use of active troops was also up for debate, but is less likely, according to the sources.
On Sunday, Trump also announced that they will send the military to Baltimore to “clean” the city of crime. “I will send the ‘troops’, as is already happening in Washington, DC, and quickly end crime,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Maryland’s governor Wes Moore reacted mockingly and offered Trump to run the streets with him – if necessary in a golf car. “President Bone Spores would do everything possible to escape – even lies about the progress that we make in Maryland in public security,” wrote Moore on X.
Resistance in Illinois
Trump had already sent soldiers to Washington, DC, and Los Angeles in summer, officially curb for crime and protests. Critics accuse him of intimidating urban population and putting opposition authorities under pressure. In particular, so -called “Sanctuary Cities”, which do not cooperate with the federal authorities when deported, are on Trump’s list.
“Chicago is a chaos. You have an incompetent mayor, completely incompetent,” said Trump on Friday. “We will regulate that next. And that won’t even be difficult.”
Reactions from Chicago
The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, described Trump’s approach as “authoritarian seizure in large cities”. There is no emergency that justifies the use of the national guard or active troops in the state.
Chicago’s mayor Brandon Johnson also decidedly rejected Trump’s plans: “We have serious concerns about an illegal use of national guards in Chicago. The President’s approach is uncoordinated, unnecessary and nonsensical.”
Johnson also referred to falling crime rates: Within a year, the number of murders fell by more than 30 percent, robberies by 35 percent, firearm power by almost 40 percent. The numbers in Baltimore are also declining: According to the police, the killing offenses fell by 22 percent in the year.
Moore rejects use
Governor Moore called Trump’s military missions “not sustainable”, “disrespectful towards the National Guard” and “unconstitutional”. He emphasized: “I will not authorize that Maryland National Guard will be used for this purpose.”
Trump’s threats are “pure show”, according to Moore, without real approaches to support the affected districts.