President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from Egypt, where he praised Egypt’s "strong" approach to crime and later suggested he could invoke the Insurrection Act to tackle violence in Chicago. (Fox News)
LONG-HELD SCOTUS PRECEDENTS COULD UNDERCUT PORTLAND, CHICAGO NATIONAL GUARD LAWSUITS
"There were about 4,000 shootings in Chicago — murders — over a fairly short period of time, maybe a year and a half. Many thousands more were hit by bullets but didn’t die. I want [Pritzker] to say, we have a problem," he added, while touting lower crime rates in Washington, D.C., and in Memphis, where he deployed the National Guard.
A reporter then asked if he would invoke the Insurrection Act, given that courts have been blocking certain aspects of his deployment of the National Guard. For instance, a judge ruled on Saturday that National Guard troops sent to Illinois by Trump to combat crime can remain in the state but can’t patrol or deploy to protect federal property.
"I could use it if I wanted to. I could use it — that’s a very simple answer. I’m allowed to use the Insurrection Act," Trump said.
"In fact, that was on Stephanopoulos today — ‘Sloppy’ Chris Christie was asked about it. He said, If you’re talking about the Insurrection Act, he’s got the absolute right to use that."
"He also said 50% of the presidents who’ve served in office have used the Insurrection Act — and that, according to all of them, it can’t even be challenged."
Chicago police responded to the Englewood neighborhood where a man was beaten to death, another fatally shot and four others were injured in 2023. (FOX 32 Chicago)
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"You know, in D.C., we took out 1,700 career criminals — hardline criminals — and that’s why it’s so good right now. D.C. is setting records the other way; it’s never been so safe. Restaurants have never done better — they were closing, now they’re opening new ones."
Trump said he could do the same thing on a larger scale in Chicago and that Pritzker should ask him to do it.
"And when you mentioned the Insurrection Act — yeah, I could do that. Many presidents have," Trump said.
"Fifty percent of presidents have used the Insurrection Act, because they don’t want to go through this stuff where someone says, ‘There’s no crime,’ when 4,000 people got shot. You know?"
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-floats-using-insurrection-act-combat-chicago-crime-says-pritzker-should-beg-his-help