President Donald Trump announced Friday that Chicago will be the next city targeted in his administration’s federal crime crackdown. The move follows what Trump described as a successful operation in Washington, D.C., where National Guard troops were deployed to curb violence.
“We’ll straighten that one out, probably next, that will be our next one after this,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “I think Chicago will be our next and then we’ll help with New York,” CNN reported.
National Guard Deployment and Emergency Powers
Trump suggested that he could keep National Guard troops in Chicago indefinitely by declaring a national emergency. “As long as I want,” Trump said, hinting at a prolonged federal presence.
Currently, more than 1,900 National Guard members from multiple states — including West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, Louisiana, and Tennessee — have been deployed to Washington, according to Joint Task Force-DC.
Trump Criticizes DC Leadership
The president slammed D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, warning he could take additional steps if she fails to “get her act straight.”
“I’m tired of listening to these people say how safe it was before we got here. It was unsafe. It was horrible,” Trump said. “And Mayor Bowser better get her act straight, or she won’t be mayor very long because we’ll take it over with the federal government running like it’s supposed to be run.”
Escalation in Washington, D.C.
Washington is witnessing a sharp security escalation, as the Pentagon confirmed National Guard troops will now be armed. The directive came from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though officials have not explained the reason for the change.
Nearly 2,000 National Guard members are stationed in the capital, with hundreds flown in from Republican-led states. Until now, the Pentagon emphasized that troops patrolling D.C. would remain unarmed, but city officials were recently informed of the policy shift.
