Trump once again threatens to send National Guard to Chicago

President Donald Trump is once again taking aim at Chicago, calling it “a very dangerous place.”

(CNN)- President Donald Trump is once again taking aim at Chicago, calling it “a very dangerous place” and threatening to send in National Guard troops. Trump said Monday he expects to decide “today or tomorrow” on a course of action, citing concerns about violent crime and illegal immigration.

“We could solve Chicago very quickly,” Trump said, while the White House confirmed immigration enforcement personnel have already been deployed in the city. Advocates reported multiple detentions over the weekend, including a longtime flower vendor.

Some critics say the president’s rhetoric has gone too far. A recent social media post suggested, “Chicago [is] about to find out why it’s called the Department of War” — a statement the White House has since walked back.

Illinois Democrats denounced both the language and the threat of troop deployment. “It would be an illegal order to declare war on a major city, any city within the United States,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) argued that more police officers and anti-violence programs would be a better investment. “We spent more money in Los Angeles putting the National Guard there than it cost to hire 2,000 Chicago police officers,” he said. “And instead, he cut $820 million in anti-violence programs. We’re going in the opposite direction.”

Political analyst David Axelrod also warned that Trump’s comments were harmful. “It’s really destructive, the casual kind of slandering of the city,” he said.