Trump says National Guard is at the ready but hedges on Chicago plans

President Trump said Monday that the U.S. military is ready to go to any city to crack down on crime — even if the governor does not request its assistance.

Trump signed an executive order at the White House to create a specialized National Guard unit that could be deployed to assist local law enforcement in Washington, D.C., and potentially around the U.S. “in quelling civil disturbances and ensuring the public safety and order whenever the circumstances necessitate.”

“We want to go from here to other places. But I was, I was telling some of the people that in a certain way, you really want to be asked to go. You know, I hate to barge in on a city and then be treated horribly by corrupt politicians and bad politicians,” Trump said while signing several executive orders.

Last week, Trump suggested his administration could target Chicago next for a federal crackdown against crime.

But when pressed on Monday, he hedged, saying he may or may not send in federal troops to Chicago.

“I didn’t get a request from the governor,” Trump said. “Illinois is affected maybe more than anybody else. And I think until I get that request from that guy, I’m not going to do anything about it.”

Earlier on Monday morning, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, told NPR’s Morning Edition that such a move would be “illegal and costly.”

“The city of Chicago is not calling for American troops to occupy American cities,” Johnson said. “It’s not democratic. It’s unconstitutional.”

Johnson said his office has not heard about a potential deployment directly from the White House.