Trump administration confirms plan to send National Guard to Chicago

The Trump administration has confirmed plans to send armed military personnel to Chicago,

(CNN)- After days of speculation, the Trump administration has confirmed plans to send armed military personnel to Chicago, citing ongoing gun violence in the city.

President Donald Trump defended the move, saying, “Well, we’re going in. I didn’t say when we’re going in. When you lose, look, I have an obligation. This isn’t a political thing. I have an obligation.” The president also described Chicago as “a hell hole right now.”

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker strongly opposed the decision, vowing to take the matter to court. “The President of the United States likes to go on television and beg me to call and ask him for troops. I find this extraordinarily strange as Chicago does not want troops on our streets,” Pritzker said.

The city has faced a surge in violence. Over the Labor Day weekend, police reported at least 58 people shot. Still, the Chicago Mayor’s Office of Violence Reduction noted that shootings, including fatalities, are trending downward this year.

Mayor Brandon Johnson criticized Trump directly, saying, “Here’s the truth. Donald Trump is the last person in America who cares about families on the south and west side of Chicago.”

Reactions from local leaders remain divided. Illinois State Senator Andrew Chesney argued, “They believe it’s acceptable to go from an unacceptable level of crime to an unacceptable level of crime and call that a win.”

Some community advocates also raised concerns. Cedric Hawkins, an anti-gun violence mediator with Chicago CRED, warned that deploying the National Guard could worsen tensions: “I believe that it will put us in a situation where the whole city of Chicago will be right back where we started.”