The Pentagon is reportedly considering plans to send U.S. military forces to Chicago as part of President Donald Trump’s push to clamp down on crime, homelessness, and undocumented immigration, according to a Washington Post report citing officials familiar with the matter.
The move, if formalized, would mark one of the most aggressive steps by the administration to intervene in local governance. While the federal government has not yet issued an official directive, Trump’s recent remarks have intensified speculation.
“Chicago’s a mess. You have an incompetent mayor. Grossly incompetent. And we’ll straighten that one out probably next. That’ll be our next one after this. And it won’t even be tough,” Trump said on Friday while listing cities he intends to “clean up.”
Long-standing plans
According to sources, discussions on a potential military intervention in Chicago have been under way for some time. The strategy is said to coincide with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations to identify and detain undocumented migrants in Illinois.
Strong pushback from state leaders
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized the idea, accusing Trump of attempting to provoke disorder. “After using Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as his testing ground for authoritarian overreach, Trump is now openly flirting with the idea of taking over other states and cities,” Pritzker said, adding that the plan was designed to “incite fear and destabilize public safety efforts.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also rejected the possibility of federal troops being deployed, calling the approach “uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound.”
Broader federal intervention
The reports come just weeks after Trump invoked the Home Rule Act, placing Washington, D.C.’s police department directly under federal authority and deploying National Guard units to the capital. The president has also suggested that New York could be the next city targeted, particularly after Democratic leader Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral race.
For now, officials stress that no formal notification has been issued regarding Chicago, though Trump’s rhetoric has made the possibility difficult to dismiss.