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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Sunday called President Donald Trump’s plan to send the National Guard to Chicago a “flagrant violation of our Constitution.”
“What the President is proposing would be the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st Century,” Johnson wrote on X. “The City of Chicago does not need a military occupation.”
Johnson also shared a clip from his appearance on MSNBC’s “The Weekend.”
On the show, Johnson said Chicago has made clear what it needs instead of troops.
GOV. PRITZKER SAYS TRUMP TRYING TO ‘MANUFACTURE A CRISIS’ AS ADMIN PLANS NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO
“We need to invest in people to ensure that we can build safe and affordable communities. That’s what I’ve done as mayor since assuming office,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that this president is working overtime to divide in his attempt to conquer working families and to conquer cities across America.
“But this is clearly a violation of the Constitution, and we’re going to remain firm and vigilant in our commitment to ensure that our democracy is protected, and our humanity is secured,” Johnson added.
Trump said Friday that Chicago would be next for federal intervention after efforts in Washington, D.C., conclude.
CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT PLAN ‘UNCOORDINATED, UNCALLED-FOR AND UNSOUND’
He vowed to send troops elsewhere afterward to “make it safe” as well.
“We’re going to make our country very safe,” Trump said. “…Chicago’s a mess.”
Soon after Trump’s announcement, Johnson said Chicago had received no formal notice of law enforcement or military deployments and expressed “grave concerns” about any unlawful action.
He called the administration’s efforts “uncoordinated, uncalled-for and unsound,” pushing back after Trump labeled him “grossly incompetent” earlier in the day.
He noted homicides are down 30%, robberies are down 35% and shootings are down nearly 40% in the past year, arguing federal action would erode trust.
TRUMP HINTS AT FEDERAL CRACKDOWN IN CHICAGO AMID ANTI-CRIME PUSH IN DC
Johnson released a statement on Sunday, saying he and his team are in communication with counterparts at the county and state levels as Chicago prepares for any possible military deployments to the city.
“The Governor, the Cook County Board President, and I are in complete alignment: Chicago is not calling for a military occupation of our city. We are currently evaluating all of our legal options to protect the people of Chicago from unconstitutional federal overreach,” Johnson said. “No matter what happens, the City of Chicago will not waver. We are Chicago. We will not bend or cower, and we will never break.”
The White House suggested that leaders of blue cities like Chicago focus on their own issues rather than criticizing the president for trying to make America great.
“If Democrats spent half as much time solving their own city’s crime problems as they did criticizing the President for wanting to Make America Safe Again, their constituents would be much better off,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.
Chicago, which struggles with poverty and gangs, has a crime rate above the national average.
But 2023 data shows several Illinois cities—including Chicago Heights, Danville, Peoria, Rockford and Harvey—had much higher violent crime rates than Chicago.
On Aug. 11, Trump federalized D.C.’s Metropolitan Police under the Home Rule Act, which lets the president control the force for 30 days.
A week later, six red states pledged 2,000 Guardsmen to D.C., joining agents from the FBI, DEA and ATF.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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