Why is Trump sending troops to Chicago? He walked it back and is considering New Orleans
- - Why is Trump sending troops to Chicago? He walked it back and is considering New Orleans
Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAYSeptember 4, 2025 at 4:41 AM
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Why is Trump sending troops to Chicago? He walked it back and is considering New Orleans
President Donald Trump called Chicago a "hell hole" as he again discussed the possibility of sending in National Guard troops to address crime in the city.
Trump has repeatedly mentioned Chicago and other cities in states with Democratic governors as he toys with deploying guardsmen as he did in Washington, D.C.
“We’re going in. I didn’t say when," Trump said on Sept. 2, though he walked it back slightly when discussing the possibility of New Orleans as the next destination for the guardsmen. "I have an obligation. This isn't a political thing."
But Chicago's leaders including Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have resisted Trump's musings, calling it an "overreach," and "tyranny." Here is what to know:
'None of this is about fighting crime': Illinois responds to Trump's troop plans
Why is Trump sending troops to Chicago?
Trump says he wants to send in the National Guard to Chicago to help with crime. He has pointed to a particularly violent Labor Day weekend where at least eight people were killed and another 50 were injured in shootings.
"Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far. Pritzker needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sept. 2. "I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, and soon."
In all of 2025, Chicago reported 278 homicides, and gun violence is down significantly so far this year, with 37% less shootings compared to the same time last year, city data shows.
Can Trump send the National Guard to Chicago, Illinois?
Experts previously told USA TODAY sending the National Guard into Chicago would likely be deemed illegal by courts.
While Trump has special authority to use the guard in Washington, D.C., Trump sending troops into Los Angeles to quell protests was found unlawful by a federal judge on Sept. 2.
Usually a president only deploys the National Guard at invitation or consent of the governor, as federal law restricts the president's ability to deploy them unilaterally.
"I was telling some of the people that, in a certain way, you really want to be asked to go," Trump said on Aug. 22. "You know? I hate to barge in on a city and then be treated horribly by corrupt politicians and bad politicians. Like a guy like (J.B. Pritzker) ... Guy is a disaster."
Pritzker has repeatedly pushed back on Trump's threat, calling it an "overreach." Johnson recently signed an executive order that he says shows "how we can stand up against this tyranny."
When is Trump sending the National Guard to Chicago?
Trump did not specify timing when he addressed the possibility of deploying troops in the Oval Office on Sept. 2.
“We’re going in. I didn’t say when," Trump said on Sept. 2.
But on Sept. 3, Trump seemed to suggest it might not happen, but the administration is considering New Orleans instead.
"We're making a determination now," Trump said in the Oval Office to reporters. "Do we go to Chicago or do we go to a place like New Orleans, where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to straighten out a very nice section of this country that's become quite, you know, quite tough, quite bad?"
"So, we're going to be going to maybe Louisiana," Trump added.
Is the National Guard still in D.C.?
Yes.
Trump said on Aug. 11 he was taking over Washington, D.C., to address crime and homelessness, despite the fact that violent crime is down 26% in 2025 compared with last year. He deployed hundreds of National Guard troops and also moved to put the Metropolitan Police Department under control of the Department of Justice.
Trump does have special authority to deploy the National Guard in D.C., and he did so in 2020 as well.
On Aug. 25, Trump also signed an executive order aimed at using the National Guard to support law enforcement.
Contributing: Joey Garrison, Terry Collins, Phillip M. Bailey, Francesca Chambers, Michael Loria, Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Trump sending troops to Chicago? He walks back vow, teases NOLA
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