Trump says Chicago could be next for National Guard crime crackdown

National Guard to Chicago?

President Trump is threatening to send in the National Guard to Chicago against the wishes of local leaders.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump said Friday that Chicago could be the next city to see National Guard troops deployed as part of his administration’s effort to crack down on crime.

What we know:

The president made the remarks during an afternoon news conference at the Oval Office, where he also announced that the 2026 World Cup would take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. 

He was joined by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Vice President JD Vance.

Trump praised his crime crackdown as a "major success" and said he may extend the effort to other cities.

"After we do this, we'll go to another location and we'll make it safe also. We're gonna make our country very safe. We're gonna make our cities very, very safe," Trump said. "Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor. We will straighten that one out next probably…" 

He added that Chicago residents have urged him to intervene.

"The people in Chicago, Mr. vice president, are screaming for us to come. They're wearing red hats. African American ladies, beautiful ladies, they're saying, ‘please President Trump, come to Chicago, please," Trump said. "I did great with the Black vote as you know… I think Chicago will be our next and we’ll help with New York." 

Trump did not provide a timeline for when he might deploy troops to Chicago.

What they're saying:

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement following Trump's comments about Chicago: 

"We take President Trump’s statements seriously, but to be clear, the City has not received any formal communication from the Trump administration regarding additional federal law enforcement or military deployments to Chicago. Certainly, we have grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops to the City of Chicago. The problem with the President's approach is that it is uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound. Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities. An unlawful deployment would be unsustainable and would threaten to undermine the historic progress we have made. In the past year alone, we have reduced homicides by more than 30%, robberies by 35%, and shootings by almost 40%. We need to continue to invest in what is working.

"We know that our communities are safest when we fully invest in housing, community safety, and education. The National Guard will not alleviate the housing crisis. It will not put food in the stomachs of the 1 in 4 children that go to bed hungry every night in Chicago. The National Guard will not fully-fund our public schools or provide mental healthcare or substance abuse treatment to Chicagoans in need. The National Guard is no substitute for dedicated local law enforcement and community violence interrupters who know and serve our communities every day. There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them," the mayor's office said.

The backstory:

Earlier Friday, Trump declared on Truth Social that Washington, D.C., was "safe again" and credited the D.C. National Guard and police with doing "a fantastic job."

"They are out in force and are NOT PLAYING GAMES!!! As bad as it sounds to say, there were no murders this week for the first time in memory," the post read in part.

The statement followed Trump’s recent threats of a "federal takeover" of the District, accusing Mayor Muriel Bowser of spreading "inaccurate crime figures." Earlier this month, he warned in another post that if the city "doesn’t get its act together," his administration would take control.

What we don't know:

It is not yet known if or when Trump will order federal troops into Chicago.

We'll bring more updates to this story as they become available. 

RELATED: Trump threatens full 'Federal takeover' in DC, accuses mayor of peddling 'inaccurate crime figures'