Trump vs Chicago: A New Political Battleground

“The worst and the most dangerous city in the world, by far.” After Los Angeles and Washington, Donald Trump has found a new target in recent days: Chicago. As with the two metropolises, the American president threatens to deploy the National Guard in the city of the Great American Lakes region. The objective, according to him? Fighting a galloping crime, in a megalopolis which he describes on his social social network as “world capital of murder”. “I will solve the problem of crime, as I did in Washington,” said the republican billionaire.

Democratic localities targeted

In June, the deployment of 4,000 soldiers from the National Guard and 700 navies in Los Angeles, after clashes during a demonstration against the migration policy implemented by Donald Trump, seems to have paved the way for other actions of this type. At that moment, the decision, made by Donald Trump, to send federal troops to the city without the agreement of the Democratic Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has been a first since 1965. mid-August, the sending of several hundred soldiers to Washington was easier to justify a legal point of view, given the special status of the federal capital.

Still, this second operation seems to make Donald Trump want to repeat the deployment of troops in other American cities. The tenant of the White House welcomes to have transformed Washington into “an area without crimes” in a few weeks. “Would it not be pleasant to be able to say as much of Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, even Baltimore, this city gangeded by crime?” Asked Donald Trump, still on Truth Social. In common of all these localities: each time these are large metropolises led by Democratic mayors, to the ideology opposed to the action of the American president.

A plan prepared for several weeks

Federal soldiers would therefore prepare to land in Chicago in the coming days. According to Washington Posta plan on this subject would have been studied for several weeks by the White House. “We are already carrying out operations in progress with the ICE (the immigration police, editor’s note) in Chicago … But we intend to add more resources to these operations,” launched CBS News the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem on Sunday, August 31, without more details. The manager, much in sight in the Trumpist camp, also justified the previous orders given by Donald Trump in Los Angeles and Washington. “Many cities are currently confronted with crime and violence. So we have removed no options.”

In Chicago, democratic officials share their fears to see the threat of the White House materialize. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker multiplies arms passes by media and networks against Donald Trump, whom he has already described as “dictator” in the past. Still on CBS News, this figure of the Democratic Party warns against a potential “invasion” of federal soldiers. JB Pritzker – judged “weak”, “pathetic” and “crazy” by Donald Trump – believes that the American president is trying to destabilize the usual organization of midtermsplanned next fall.

A decree taken by the mayor to complicate the sending of troops

The mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, does not intend to let the republican billionaire act without showing his disapproval. “No federal troops in Chicago! […] We are going to defend our democracy in the city of Chicago! “Launched the councilor on Monday September 1, during a demonstration. Above all, the manager took an order for the probable deployment of federal soldiers in the city. This document, consulted by Politicois supposed to complicate cooperation between federal forces and local authorities. Metropolitan police “will not collaborate with federal agents during joint patrols for the application of the law, arrest operations or other law application tasks, including the application of civil immigration laws”, specifies the decree.

A credible perspective in the field? The fraternal order of the Chicago police, antenna of the main police union in the United States, is not opposed to the will of Donald Trump. “While waiting for us to have more police, federal aid is welcome,” said the structure in a message on Monday. Recent figures for crime in Chicago are in any case a drop in crime in the city. Indeed, according to data from the metropolitan police, the number of “violent crimes” decreased by 23 % in August compared to the same period last year.