Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) issued a firm rebuke Sunday to President Donald Trump’s pledge to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, calling the potential move “unconstitutional” and promising legal resistance. Johnson’s statement came after Trump announced Friday that Chicago would likely be the next city targeted in his national push to combat crime, illegal immigration, and homelessness.
During an appearance on HBO’s Real Time Friday night, New York Times opinion writer and Duke University journalism professor Frank Bruni acknowledged that President Donald Trump is addressing a real and pressing issue: rising urban crime. Bruni conceded that crime levels in major cities—including Washington, D.C.—are too high, and that Trump is "putting his finger on a problem that people rightly care about."
Roughly 1,700 National Guard troops are being deployed across 19 states as President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and restore law and order in crime-ridden cities. The activation, stretching from August through mid-November, involves support roles for federal immigration enforcement while reinforcing visible deterrence.