President Donald Trump speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers on Aug. 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)
"Donald Trump wants to use the military to occupy a U.S. city, punish its dissidents and score political points. If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is – a dangerous power grab," Pritzker said.
TRUMP'S WEEK SHAPED BY CRIME AGENDA, POTENTIAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO
Pritzker called the potential move "exactly the type of overreach that our country's founders warned against."
"What President Trump is doing is unprecedented and unwarranted. It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. It is un-American," he added.
When reached for comment regarding Pritzker's criticism, the White House shared a fact sheet on Chicago crime, which includes local reporting that indicates, for the past 13 years, Chicago has had the most murders of any U.S. city.
With the dome of the U.S. Capitol in the background, members of the National Guard keep watch outside Union Station on Aug. 19, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/File Photo/Reuters)
"It's very safe right now," Trump said of Washington, D.C., during his Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
For nearly two weeks, Trump has carried out a crackdown on crime in Washington, mobilizing more than 2,200 National Guard troops to patrol the streets of the nation's capital.
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"It's going to get so good that this will be the safest capital there is. It'll be one of the safest places in our nation anywhere," Trump told his Cabinet, adding that "12 days ago, it was the most unsafe place in our nation."
Trump has floated deploying troops to other U.S. cities as well, including Baltimore, Md., where he was met with criticism by another potential 2028 presidential contender, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-accuses-pritzker-illinois-dems-whining-while-chicago-crime-rages