Trump, a Republican, has said he would probably expand his crime crackdown to Chicago, intervening in another city governed by Democrats. And on Sunday, he suggested the possibility of deploying troops to Democratic-run Baltimore in Maryland.
After deploying the National Guard to Washington, DC, Donald Trump has now turned his attention to Chicago.
U.S. President Donald Trump does not have the authority to deploy troops to Chicago, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday, as the Pentagon began preliminary planning for a possible deployment, News.Az reports citing the Jerusalem Post.
US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there had been initial planning at the Pentagon about what a deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago would look like.
One official said the plans were part of the military's efforts to anticipate any requests by Trump and noted senior Pentagon officials have not yet been briefed on them. It is not uncommon for the Pentagon to plan for potential deployments before formal orders are given.
Jeffries said any move to deploy troops to Chicago was an attempt by Trump to manufacture a crisis. Crime, including murders, has declined in Chicago in the last year.
Jeffries cited comments made by JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, which includes Chicago, who said there was no emergency warranting the deployment of the National Guard or other military.
