- On Friday, President Donald Trump said that Chicago might be the “next” city to get federal troops, and New York might be next.
- Chicago Brandon Johnson, the mayor, said that the city has not received any official notice and that an illegal deployment of the National Guard could make things worse.
- Johnson pointed to big drops in homicides, robberies, and shootings from one year to the next and called for more money to be spent on local strategies.
The Big Picture
In a speech in the Oval Office on Friday, August 22, 2025, President Donald Trump said that Chicago and then New York could be the next cities to see federal troops. That same day, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a detailed statement saying that the city had not received any official notice and that any illegal use of the National Guard could set back progress in public safety.
What Is New
Trump talked about how the federal government has been involved in Washington, D.C. recently, pointing to the National Guard’s presence there last week and saying that Chicago would be “next,” followed by help for New York. A journalist posted a video on X of Trump saying he would send the “regular military” to American cities. The video then showed him saying, “Chicago is next and then we’ll help with New York.”
Trump says he's willing to deploy the "regular military" to American cities, the adds that "Chicago is next and then we'll help with New York" pic.twitter.com/w0stIFzYEr
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 22, 2025
Johnson said that the administration hasn’t made any plans through official channels and that sending troops would be “uncalled for” and “unsound,” according to his office. He also said that this kind of action could hurt the trust between residents and police at a time when city data show that some types of violent crime are going down.
What They’re Saying
Context
Trump said in a speech from the Oval Office that sending the National Guard to Washington, D.C. recently was proof that the federal government was cracking down on crime in cities. Officials in D.C. say that city leaders in the District pushed back on the framing and impact, saying that public safety trends can’t be boiled down to a single week and that it’s important to work with local authorities.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office says that she has said that the most important things for reducing crime are still local strategies, community trust, and data-driven policing. She also said that the federal government should only be involved in a few things, and that it should be legal and coordinated. Even though overall trends and short-term changes are still up for debate, the exchange showed that the District’s leaders and the White House still don’t agree on how to report and understand crime.
Johnson’s office said that Chicago’s plan is to focus on housing, education, mental health care, stopping violence in the community, and local law enforcement. In the past year, the mayor said, murders, robberies, and shootings have all gone down by more than 30%, 35%, and 40%, respectively. He said that a military response could put those gains in danger.
What Comes Next
Officials in Chicago said they would keep working on safety plans for the city and expect to be told if the federal government takes any action. City leaders said they would look into the legal and operational effects of a formal deployment plan if one were to be made, and they also said they would push for cooperation with local law enforcement.
The Bottom Line
Trump’s Friday comments could cause a fight with Chicago’s leaders, who say that sending in the military would make things worse for safety and trust in the community.
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