Trump Plans National Guard Deployment to Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C.

President Donald Trump is escalating his controversial strategy of deploying the National Guard to major Democratic-led cities, including Chicago, Baltimore, and New York, despite local officials' objections and data showing declines in violent crime. Trump’s actions have sparked sharp criticism from Democratic leaders such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who view the federal troop deployments as abuses of power and unnecessary military occupations. The Pentagon has been preparing to send troops to Chicago as early as September, continuing a pattern previously seen in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., aiming to present a tough-on-crime image while overriding state sovereignty. Critics argue that Trump’s approach substitutes political theater and force for effective crime policy and democratic processes, painting Democratic cities as crises zones to bolster his political narrative. Chicago’s official statistics reveal a significant drop in murders and shootings in 2025 compared to the previous year, contradicting the administration’s portrayal of the city as a “mess.” The deployments are widely seen as part of a broader political conflict between President Trump and Democratic city and state leaders, intensifying tensions around crime and governance in urban America.