Federal officials have confirmed that the Pentagon is developing plans to dispatch National Guard troops to Chicago, signaling an extension of President Trump's military operations into Democratic-controlled urban areas. The move comes as Trump has also threatened to deploy federal forces to Baltimore, marking an aggressive federal response to what the administration perceives as urban mismanagement.
The discussions about military involvement in Chicago were disclosed after Trump indicated the city would be the next after Washington D.C. to receive federal intervention. While the Pentagon has refrained from sharing specifics about the operation, a representative confirmed ongoing collaboration with agencies to protect federal assets and personnel. "The Department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel,” a Pentagon spokesperson told the Daily Mail. "We won’t speculate on further operations."
In justification of these moves, Trump has been vocally critical of Chicago's leadership, particularly taking aim at its mayor. "Chicago is a mess," Trump declared. "You have an incompetent mayor — grossly incompetent. And we’ll straighten that one out probably next. That will be our next one after this, and it won’t even be tough."
Meanwhile, Maryland Governor Wes Moore extended an invitation to Trump for a Baltimore tour to initiate dialogue about public safety concerns. In response, Trump offered a military deployment as an alternative, drawing parallels with his recent Los Angeles operation. "Wes Moore´s record on Crime is a very bad one, unless he fudges his figures on crime like many of the other ‘Blue States’ are doing," Trump posted on Truth Social. "But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the ‘troops,’ which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime."
On the other hand, Governor Moore has highlighted Baltimore's progress, citing a significant decrease in violent crime and improvements in the city's crime statistics. Baltimore's spokesperson criticized Trump's approach, suggesting that the President's tactics are unhelpful and outdated. "This is a President who would rather attack his country’s largest cities from behind a desk than walk the streets with the people he represents," said Moore's spokesperson.
The conversation then shifted to military service records, with Trump questioning Moore's claim of a Bronze Star on Truth Social. Moore retaliated by bringing up Trump's history regarding the Vietnam War draft, escalating the exchange into a personal territory.
This development raises questions about the federal government's role in local governance, the militarization of urban policy, and the political ramifications of using federal troops in cities.
