Chicago leaders react after President Donald Trump says National Guard is not coming to city
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago-area leaders are reacting after President Donald Trump said he would be sending the National Guard to Memphis and not Chicago on Friday.
This decision represents a victory of sorts for the many Democrats and community activists who had pushed back over the president's plan to send the National Guard to Chicago.
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"We're going to Memphis. Memphis is deeply troubled, and the mayor is happy. He's a Democrat. The mayor is happy, and the governor Tennessee, the governor is happy. Deeply troubled. We're going to fix that just like we did Washington. I would have preferred going to Chicago," Trump said.
The president made the announcement about sending the guard to Memphis live on Fox News.
Trump had previously entertained the idea of sending the National Guard to Chicago amidst the planned surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city, along with recent summer gun violence. Friday morning, Trump added that he could "fix" Chicago.
Sen. Dick Durbin appeared skeptical about the president's decision not to send the guard to Chicago after a meeting with representatives from community violence intervention groups on Friday.
"Listen, this is not a coordinated plan. This is political theater, and this president will change his target city on a daily basis, depending on factors I can't even imagine," Durbin said.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson suggested that strong local pushback against the guard paid off.
"Because of the unified opposition from community leaders and elected officials in Chicago and throughout the state, the Trump administration backed down from its threats of sending in the National Guard to Chicago. We continue to call on the federal government to send additional resources to help us continue to drive down violent crime, but we reject any military occupation of our city. The way to reduce violence is by focusing on the strategies that work: effective policing, violence prevention, and investing in communities," Johnson said in a statement.
But one alderperson hopes Trump revisits his decision. Fifteenth Ward Ald. Ray Lopez, who was a supporter of the guard being deployed to the city, said having the guard in the city would have allowed Chicago police officers to better focus on patrolling city streets.
"I am disappointed, because it means the citizens of Chicago are going to lose, the victims of Chicago are going to be forgotten, and the criminals of Chicago are now going to think they have scared the president from coming here to put things back into place," Lopez said. "There is a fringe group in this city who says we do not want a militarized zone. Wake up, people, because you are already in a warzone."
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he did not want the guard, but the decision was made.
"My commitment is to make sure that we work strategically to ensure that this happens in a way that truly benefits and strengthens our community," Young said.
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's office issued a statement, saying, "It's disturbing that the President is hellbent on sending troops onto America's Streets. Using those who serve in uniform as political props is insulting. None of this is normal."
Community leaders say they would prefer investment money for violence prevention instead of troops.
"We don't need the Department of War. We need investment in peace," said CEO New Life Center Matt DeMateo. "We have over 2,000 peacekeepers across the city, across our orgs, and the plan is working."
It's not clear right now when the National Guard could be sent to Memphis nor just how large of a force he plans to deploy.
The president also told Fox News this morning that he would also send "the military" if necessary, too.
