A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The mayor of Chicago is rejecting the idea of federal troops patrolling his city.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Brandon Johnson says the idea would be illegal, uncoordinated, uncalled for and unsound. He said that after President Trump talked of sending National Guard troops to Chicago, just as he has in Washington, D.C.
MARTÍNEZ: We're joined now by NPR's senior White House correspondent, Tamara Keith. So, Tam, do we know what President Trump has in mind here?
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: The short answer is no. Trump has been talking about crime in Chicago for as long as he's been a politician, but his remarks in the Oval Office on Friday appeared to move Chicago to the top of his list. But I should say, this was not a big announcement or rollout. It was an off-the-cuff comment during an unrelated event about soccer. It has been clear for some time that what Trump is doing in Washington, D.C., is a trial run for other cities. He has said as much. The Washington Post has an exclusive report that the Pentagon has been drawing up plans for the National Guard to be deployed to Chicago. But when I asked the White House about that, they referred me to these remarks from Trump on Friday in response to a reporter's question.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Have there been concrete steps that the administration is taking...
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: ...To do that?
TRUMP: I haven't...
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Or what are other cities, as well?
TRUMP: I haven't spoken with him. He's grossly incompetent. I haven't spoken to the mayor, no. When we're ready, we'll go in and we'll straighten out Chicago, just like we did D.C.
KEITH: Over the weekend, Trump also got into a war of words with the Maryland governor, Wes Moore, and said he might send troops there as well.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. Now, that trial run has been in place in D.C. for - what? - two weeks now. How's it going?
KEITH: There are now more than 2,000 troops assigned to D.C., and as of yesterday, they began carrying their service weapons. In addition to assisting local and federal law enforcement, some are now beginning community improvement work under the umbrella of Task Force Beautification. The White House has announced hundreds of arrests. A significant share of them are immigration enforcement, in addition to gun possession, outstanding warrants and then more petty crimes. Trump is now claiming there is no crime and no murder in D.C. Crime was already falling in D.C. when Trump declared an emergency, but what is less clear is what will happen with crime if and when the Guard goes home.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, Chicago's mayor says all of this would be illegal and uncalled for. What does Illinois Governor JB Pritzker think?
KEITH: Oh, Governor Pritzker said in no uncertain terms over the weekend that he doesn't want the National Guard sent to Chicago. And normally, the governor has to call up the Guard. Here's part of what he said. Quote, "Donald Trump's threat to bring the National Guard to Chicago isn't about safety. It's a test of the limits of his power and a trial run for a police state. Illinois has long worked with federal law enforcement to tackle crime, but we won't let a dictator impose his will," unquote.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. So it doesn't sound like Pritzker will be calling up the Guard any time soon, but will that matter? Will his wishes matter?
KEITH: Yeah, it didn't stop Trump from sending thousands of Guard troops and hundreds of active-duty Marines into Los Angeles amid protests against immigration raids. And that was over the objections of Governor Gavin Newsom of California. And the question of whether Trump can legally do this is still being litigated. One of the key lessons of the second Trump term is that he is going to assert immense constitutional authority and isn't afraid of being sued because the judicial process takes a long time. And sometimes the courts hand him a win, further cementing powers that other presidents never even tried to assert.
MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's Tamara Keith. Thanks a lot.
KEITH: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
