CNN's Isabel Rosales speaks to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on the Trump administration making plans to deploy the National Guard to Chicago as the president expands anti-crime agenda. #CNN #News
00:00President Trump is escalating his feuds with Democratic-run cities and states over crime and threats of military deployments.
00:08Today, Trump suggested he may pull federal funding for the reconstruction of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge over in Baltimore.
00:16In a series of truth social posts, the president attacked Maryland Governor Wes Moore's record of crime
00:22and tied bridge funding to a political dispute on deploying the National Guard to cities across the country.
00:29All of this comes as CNN has learned the Trump administration has been planning for weeks to send National Guard troops to Chicago, America's third largest city.
00:39It's believed the deployment would look different from what we've seen over in Washington, D.C., where the president has more leeway in directing troops.
00:47The Chicago deployment could more resemble what the president did in Los Angeles in response to immigration protests there this summer.
00:54But this time, troops are expected to have a broader focus of combating crime and unprecedented use of the National Guard.
01:02CNN's Julia Bedenbrook joins us now.
01:04Julia, what more can you tell us about this possible deployment?
01:10Well, Isabel, President Donald Trump has made it clear that he plans to expand these efforts outside of Washington, D.C.
01:17This is a part of his anti-crime agenda and his immigration crackdown.
01:22In recent weeks here in the nation's capital city, Trump has taken temporary control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police.
01:28And then there's also been this constant visible presence of the National Guard here.
01:33In the Oval Office on Friday, he made it clear that he plans to expand these efforts,
01:39saying that he is taking a look at Chicago now.
01:42Take a listen.
01:44Chicago is a mess.
01:45You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we'll straighten that one out probably next.
01:51And the people in Chicago, Mr. Vice President, are screaming for us to come.
01:56They're wearing red hats, just like this one.
01:58But they're wearing red hats.
02:00Now, officials who have spoken with CNN say that the plans to send troops there have been in the works for weeks,
02:10but there are still a lot of questions.
02:12How many troops will be sent and when that deployment might happen?
02:16Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said that the administration has not been in direct contact with his team or the governor.
02:23He's accused the president of, quote, stoking fear and says this is not the way to bring down crime in his city.
02:30What he is proposing at this point would be the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st century.
02:39The city of Chicago does not need a military occupation.
02:44That's not what we need.
02:46In fact, we've been very clear about what we need.
02:48We need to invest in people to ensure that we can build safe and affordable communities.
02:53In a statement, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said this.
03:00He said, quote,
03:01The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority.
03:05There is no emergency that warrants the president of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard,
03:10deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders.
03:17While it is not uncommon for federal authorities like the National Guard to help out across the country in times of emergency,
03:26like natural disasters or civil unrest, experts say that sending in the National Guard in a blanket order to combat crime
03:33and implement the president's immigration policies is unprecedented.
03:37So we've seen this start here in Washington.
03:40He says that Chicago's next.
03:42Then he says he's taking a look at New York.
03:44In recent weeks, he has also criticized other major cities, calling them, quote,
03:48very bad, including Los Angeles and Baltimore.
03:52Julia Bentbrook, thank you so much.
03:55And joining me now to talk more about this possible National Guard deployment to Chicago is Kwame Raul.
04:01He is the attorney general for the state of Illinois.
04:03Sir, thank you so much for coming on the show.
04:05I want to start with the Trump saying that Chicago is next.
04:10He's saying that this is because of crime.
04:12He's saying Chicago is a mess.
04:13But the crime data is really painting a different picture here.
04:17Chicago police reported last month that homicides are down 32 percent.
04:22Year over year, shooting incidents are down 37 percent.
04:26Motor vehicles and carjackings also considerably down.
04:30And we're looking at a graphic of that right now for our audience.
04:33So in light of all of this, why do you think he's going after Chicago?
04:39Thank you for having me.
04:40I think it's performative.
04:42I think that data that you just related is a result of us having great law enforcement leaders in the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.
04:51We have a tremendous police superintendent here.
04:54And one of the things that we embrace, my office and other law enforcement agencies throughout the state, is a one-team concept, which includes partnership with federal law enforcement agencies who are trained to deal with crime, which the National Guard is not.
05:10That includes the FBI, the ATF, DEA, even in some instances, Homeland Security investigations and Secret Service.
05:20We've had tremendous partnerships with federal law enforcement during the Trump administration and during the Biden administration.
05:28And so we're not opposed to that ongoing partnership with those who are trained to deal with crime.
05:36Yeah.
05:36And to be clear, he's not asking for permission.
05:38He hasn't spoken to any of the city or state leadership there.
05:42What does that say to the American public when this is happening in cities and states?
05:48And he claims will continue to expand.
05:50Well, the fact that he's not embracing the collaboration that you usually do to deploy the National Guard, communicating to the governor, means that it's another step towards authoritarianism,
06:06that he's operating as a dictator, turning the military against the American citizens in cities on American land is unprecedented and it's unheard of.
06:18The Democratic governor of Illinois issued a statement yesterday calling Trump's plan to deploy troops there, quote, an abuse of power and said, Illinois, as you have mentioned, never asked for this.
06:30He has not heard from the federal government.
06:32And then he said this.
06:33Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.
06:44To you, sir, I ask this.
06:45If the White House moves forward without the approval from the state, what legal actions would your office take?
06:51Yeah, it all depends.
06:54It all depends on what specific actions that the National Guard, if they are deployed, are suggested to perform.
07:04It's an offense to the sovereignty of states where we allow for the primary enforcement of public safety to happen at the local and the state levels for that to be left to the states in collaboration with federal law enforcement.
07:23But the Posse Comitatus Act limits the ability for the president to federalize the National Guard.
07:31We don't have a foreign invasion.
07:34We don't have a rebellion.
07:35And so we will use our legal tools to challenge it, as has been done in California.
07:42And we're waiting for the results of the litigation in California.
07:48Yeah.
07:48And I know you've been a part of several lawsuits against the administration, even recently, for withholding millions of dollars from the state in money that would go toward helping victims of crime.
07:59Something that I read your statement, you have said is horrible.
08:03If he cared about the victims of crime, he wouldn't be withholding that.
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