Washington (AP) – JB Pritzker We took a water taxi along the Chicago River Walk, past one of Donald Trump’s famous downtown towers. The sparkly and heavily trafficked tourist spots on the day the Illinois governor directed a rebellious message to the White House, “Don’t come to Chicago. You don’t want here, you don’t need it here.”
But the governor’s protest may not be important. After Trump’s National Guard deployed in Los Angeles June Washington DC this monthRepublicans say the next goal for federal intervention could be two of the nation’s most democratic cities, Chicago and Baltimore.
A Possible Move for Trump – Governor targeting a state, one of the potential White House candidates in 2028, is another escalation of presidential forces, and will directly challenge state and city rights. It will also strengthen partisan scramblings to voter confidence in public safety issues.
For Trump, Militarizing US streets It is the latest tactics to support his “law and order” branding and a massive deportation agenda. It’s a way to cast Democratic leaders as weak and ineffective in affected areas, like Trump. Exaggerate violence He’s superficially trying to stop him. “You should call me and he should be saying, ‘Would you like to send me the troops?” Trump said Tuesday at the White House. “That’s out of control.”
Democrats have seen dangerous overreach by aspiring authoritarians and have said they will challenge Trump in court if necessary. They also see how in political battles Republicans burn crime and Democrats can better protect their citizens and maintain peace, especially moderates and independences.
“This is not about fighting crime,” Pretzker said on Monday, adjoining Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other leaders, “it’s about a “ruffy little guy” who tries to intimidate his political rival.
But there is a risk for Democrats. While violent crimes, including Chicago, are all across the country, making a statement about how to fight what is still happening means touching on some of Trump’s most comfortable political turf. Additionally, Trump has shown his willingness to block federal money where elected officials opposed him.
Another way to fight Trump for Pretzker
Pretzker is looking for a third term in 2026. Among Democrats ‘ largely Vocalist Trump Critic. A few weeks after Trump’s second administration, Pretzker compared it to the Nazi Third Reich. Recently, he welcomed the Texas Democrats. People who fled the state capitol In Austin, repainting Republicans’ state legislative districts will be delayed at Trump’s request.
In Chicago on Monday, Pretzker and Johnson stressed that the Trump administration had not reached out to the plan. The president admitted he had not spoken to officials in Illinois or Maryland, saying he could not send the troops unless at one point Pretzker asked.
A Pritzker aide said his priority was to ensure that federal deployments do not occur. That’s why Pretzker and his staff hustled to gather a cross-section of political, civic and faith leadership for a unified television that Trump can certainly see. Of course, I also trained the Pritzker camera.
“I know he’s not reading…but he knows he’s watching TV,” he said of Trump. “And perhaps if someone from Fox News or Newsmax is here, they’ll cover the fact that Chicago is in much better shape,” for what local officials do.
In Trump’s bravery, he added, “If you hurt my people, there will be nothing to stop me, rather than ensuring that you face justice under our constitutional rule of law.”
Democrats want to reframe the conversation about crime
Maryland Gov. Wesmore, another potential democratic candidate for 2028, said Trump’s characterization of Baltimore and other cities reflects the president “lives in this blissful ignorance, these ratios.”
Nonetheless, voters are monitoring the issue with Republicans.
In a CNN/SSRS poll from May, around four in 10 Americans said the GOP’s views on crime and policing are more consistent with their own, compared to three in 10 who felt the same way about Democrats. The rest said neither party reflected their views.
Trump also had an advantage over Democrat Kamala Harris in the issue in the 2024 general election matchup. According to the Associated Press Voting, a national survey of presidential voters, about half of respondents say Trump can handle crimes, with about four in 10 saying this about Harris.
The Democrats confirmed the gap in the Nationalist Party gathering in Minneapolis this week. In a presentation to members of the Democratic National Committee, the party strategist pointed out that Republicans spent about three times more money on crime-related ads in the recent presidential era than Democrats.
But they said there was an opening. They urged Democrats not to mimic Republican “crime harsh” rhetoric, but instead position themselves as “serious about safety, not sky scary tactics.”
Pretzker’s aide agreed that Democrats would have an opportunity to highlight public safety policy choices.
Chicago speaker Rittany cited quite a few drops in violent and property crimes in the city. They also highlighted federal support for law enforcement, housing and other programs that Johnson called “a proven solution to crime and violence reductions,” to the Trump administration’s hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts.
“We can’t jail a way out of violence,” the mayor said.
There are prominent places Trump has not mentioned
The argument also raises questions about where Trump is not seeking federal intervention.
Trump as a candidate attacked not only Chicago, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Washington, but also American cities regularly. Detroit was “decimated” and “filthy.” Atlanta was a “sacrificed field.” Pretzker noted that Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, have particularly higher homicide rates than Chicago.
But Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia all have Republican governors. Meanwhile, Michigan is home to Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, but has deviated from colleagues like Pretzker and California Gov. Gavin Newsom by becoming more direct with Trump, including in-person visits to the White House.
And even Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, a major Republican executive, has added implicit support to Democrat criticism.
“In the end, the best public safety results will be provided by local police departments and local officials who know the community,” he said in a statement without mentioning Trump by name. “The US mayor never considers other levels of government acquisitions as a tactic that has a track record of producing results. Local management is always the best.”
– Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press Reporter Steve Peoples contributed from Minneapolis.
