President Donald Trump said early Thursday that Chicago’s crime problems could be solved quickly if local officials sought his help, declaring he could “fix it in one month.”
“The Mayor and Governor should be begging me for help. Crime is out of control in Chicago, potentially one of the greatest cities in the World (Again!). I could fix it in one month!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social page.
Trump linked his comments to a New York Post story reporting that Chicago’s Labor Day weekend left eight people dead and at least 58 wounded in 32 separate shootings. The report stated that Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson continued to criticize Trump’s proposed deployment of the National Guard.
Trump’s post came as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker warned federal agents could be deployed to the area by the end of the week. Suburban officials were told to expect about 300 federal immigration agents as part of stepped-up enforcement operations.
“They haven’t confirmed any of that to us, but what we’re hearing is that they’ll be assembled, ready to go on Friday, and that they will begin actions on Saturday,” Pritzker told reporters, The Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.
Pritzker, a Democrat, has repeatedly rejected Trump’s demand that he request the National Guard, calling the idea unnecessary and authoritarian. Trump, however, has pressed him to reconsider, while his campaign used the clash to raise money.
A fundraising email this week declared “WE’RE GOING INTO CHICAGO” and urged supporters to “LIBERATE CHICAGO – SAVE AMERICA – STAND WITH TRUMP!” reports The Tribune.
It also quoted Trump saying, “The Radical Left Governors and Mayors of crime-ridden cities don’t want to stop the radical crime. I wish they’d just give me a call. I’d gain respect for them. This isn’t a political thing; we have the right to do it because I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO KEEP AMERICA SAFE!”
Trump has also pointed to Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who asked for federal help in New Orleans, suggesting he may prioritize sending National Guard troops there instead.
“We have a great thing going. I could do that with Chicago. We could do that with New York. We could do it with Los Angeles,” Trump said this week. “So we’re making a determination now, do we go to Chicago, or do we go to a place like New Orleans, where we have a great governor?”
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Wednesday there were “no immediate plans” for National Guard deployment to Chicago, when asked about Trump’s remarks and the possible size and timing of the operation, according to Newsmax.
Trump has often said he would expand federal crackdowns on Democrat-led cities like Chicago. On Tuesday, he again vowed to send in troops but did not give specifics.
Chicago leaders, meanwhile, have prepared for a possible influx of federal agents. Activists circulated “emergency protest” schedules, promising demonstrations within hours of intervention.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
