Trump Claims Chicago Next for Federal Crime Crackdown

President Donald Trump announced plans to expand his federalized crime crackdown beyond Washington, D.C., targeting Chicago next, followed by New York. During remarks in the Oval Office, Trump praised the National Guard and D.C. law enforcement for their success in reducing crime and claimed that "African American ladies, beautiful ladies" in Chicago are begging him to intervene, despite unclear evidence supporting this claim. He criticized Chicago's mayor as "grossly incompetent" and asserted that the city’s residents are "screaming for us to come" and wear MAGA red hats. Trump's assertion that he did well with Black voters contrasts with the fact that he garnered only about 20% of the Black vote nationally and 28% in Cook County, Illinois. Critics have dismissed Trump's narrative as a falsehood designed to justify federal intervention in cities led by Black Democratic mayors. The deployment of National Guard troops and the threat of military involvement highlight escalating federal tensions with cities of significant Black populations, raising concerns about the motivations behind these crackdowns.