'Do Not Come To Chicago': Illinois Guv Pritzker Warns Trump Against Sending Troops

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Monday, August 25, warned United States President Donald Trump against sending troops to Chicago after the latter indicated that the city was a“mess” and could receive similar treatment to what he has done in Washington, DC.

Addressing a press conference, JB Pritzker pushed back against Donald Trump's plans to send military troops to Chicago allegedly to“fight crime” and warned the US President, saying,“Do not come to Chicago.”

Pritzker said that while no one contacted the state about a possible deployment of military troops in Chicago, they were being targeted for who they represent and to“circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities, and end elections.”

Later, in a post on his social media handle, Pritzker listed out“Things People are Begging For” that included cheaper groceries, no cuts to Medicaid or food aid for low-income families, and the release of federally held files on Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex trafficker and a friend of Donald Trump.

What they are not begging for, Pritzker continued, is“an authoritarian power grab of major cities.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his office has not received formal communication from the Trump administration about military or federal law enforcement deployments in Chicago but said“we have grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops.”

Brandon Johnson also said that Donald Trump's approach was "uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound,” arguing it“has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement.”

Lisa Hernandez, chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, called Trump's comments“offensive and false” and said,“Chicagoans are not begging for him.”

What did Trump say about Chicago?

The push back from Illinois leaders and local Chicago leaders have come after Donald Trump called the city a“mess” and that people were“screaming” for the US administration to deploy troops into the city.

“I think Chicago will be our next,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding,“And then we'll help with New York.”

“We're going to make our cities very, very safe. Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we'll straighten that one out, probably next that'll be our next one after this, and it won't even be tough,” he said.

There is no set time for the deployment of troops in Chicago but reports say, it could be as early as September.

When Trump was asked when could the troops be deployed, Donald Trump said,“They need help. We may wait. We may or may not, we may just go in and do it, which is probably what we should do.”

(With agency inputs)

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