Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, speaking on CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ condemned President Donald Trump’s proposal to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, warning that such a move risks inflaming racial and law enforcement tensions. “We should continue to support local law enforcement and not simply allow Donald Trump to play games with the lives of the American people,” Jeffries said, accusing the president of exploiting the crisis to divert attention from his low approval ratings.
The proposal comes after Trump authorized National Guard troops to carry weapons in Washington, D.C., and signaled interest in dispatching troops to Chicago and New York. However, Illinois Democrats and Chicago officials immediately criticized the plan as an authoritarian attempt to control major cities. Governor JB Pritzker called the move an “authoritarian power grab,” while Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson warned that deploying the National Guard could “inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement” and “threaten to undermine the historic progress we have made” in fighting crime.
Democrats argue that Trump’s stance is misaligned with the national trend of declining crime rates in major cities, including Chicago. Recent data shows that violent crime has been on a downward trajectory since the pandemic, raising questions about Trump’s stated motives for pursuing federal intervention. The National Guard deployment in Washington has sparked strong public opposition, with nearly 80% of residents in the nation’s capital opposing the move.
Jeffries reiterated that Democrats remain committed to public safety, emphasizing the need for stronger support for local law enforcement and addressing the root causes of violence. “As Democrats, we want safer communities,” he told CNN’s Dana Bash. “We want to continue to make sure that crime can go down as it’s doing in Chicago, in New York, in Washington, D.C., and other places. And to do that, we should support local law enforcement.” His comments highlight the growing political divide over the use of federal power in matters of law enforcement and public safety.