Pentagon officials have been developing plans for weeks that could send "at least a few thousand members of the National Guard" to Chicago, America’s third-largest city, according to The Washington Post on Sunday. Options include large-scale deployments, with the possibility of active-duty troops also under discussion, though considered less likely at this stage.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump left no ambiguity about his intentions. “Chicago’s a mess. You have an incompetent mayor. Grossly incompetent,” he told reporters. “And we’ll straighten that one out probably next. That’ll be our next one after this. And it won’t even be tough.”

The potential Chicago National Guard deployment would mirror Trump’s earlier controversial move in Los Angeles, where he sent 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines despite opposition from local leaders. CNN reported that Trump has also suggested using “regular military” forces, a step that would represent an even more dramatic escalation.

Chicago is not the only focus of Trump’s domestic military expansion. Currently, more than 2,000 National Guard troops patrol Washington, DC, following Trump’s takeover of the city’s police force in August. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also authorized these troops to carry firearms while patrolling the streets, marking another escalation.

Additionally, the administration has stationed about 1,700 National Guard troops across 20 Republican-controlled states for immigration enforcement operations. These troops are authorized to conduct personal data collection, fingerprinting, DNA swabbing, and photographing of personnel in ICE custody, effectively blurring the line between civilian law enforcement and military duties.

Local leaders push back against National Guard presence

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson strongly rejected the idea of a federal military presence. In an official statement, he emphasized that the city "has not received any formal communication from the Trump administration regarding additional federal law enforcement or military deployments."

Johnson highlighted the city’s crime reduction progress, whereby homicides were down more than 30%, robberies down 35%, and shootings decreased by nearly 40% over the past year. "Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust is foundational to building safer communities," he stated.

Investing in our communities is what makes our city safer. There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them. pic.twitter.com/dBt2L7VpFm

— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) August 22, 2025

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also condemned Trump’s plans. "After using Los Angeles and Washington, DC as his testing ground for authoritarian overreach, Trump is now openly flirting with the idea of taking over other states and cities," Pritzker said, arguing that Trump has "no legal ability" to send troops to Chicago and accused him of attempting to "create chaos."

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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.

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) August 22, 2025

Constitutional and legal concerns over Trump’s use of force

Legal scholars have raised alarms over Trump’s military deployment strategy within US borders. Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice warned that preemptive military deployment “is the hallmark of authoritarian rule.” William Banks, a law professor at Syracuse University, noted that military leaders who once acted as restraints on Trump have now been replaced by “sycophants.”

Steve Vladeck of Georgetown University told USA Today that while the administration claims to operate within the law, it is "pushing the law’s boundaries further than any president in modern history." Many experts believe Trump’s justification for deployments appears pretextual, politically motivated, rather than rooted in genuine security needs.

The states have taken the matter to the courts. For one, California has argued in federal court that Trump’s Los Angeles deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which limits military involvement in civilian law enforcement. Although a federal judge initially agreed, an appeals court has allowed the deployment to continue.

Also, constitutional experts have expressed deep concern that Trump’s rhetoric and actions signal potential steps toward martial law. For instance, Trump has repeatedly framed immigration as an “invasion” and urban crime as requiring military intervention, language paralleling statutory requirements for invoking the Insurrection Act.

A pending Department of Defense and Homeland Security report, expected within 90 days of Trump’s border emergency declaration, may recommend “whether to invoke the Insurrection Act” for immigration-related issues. Such a move would mark a profound escalation in military authority.

The Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling in Trump v. United States has further complicated oversight, granting presidents criminal immunity for “official acts.” Duke Law Professor H. Jefferson Powell described the Insurrection Act as “perilously broad… like a blank check if he chooses to accept the political fallout from invoking it.”

Trump’s approval ratings continue to plummet

The controversy over Trump's authoritarianism coincides with declining public support. A Pew Research Center poll released in mid-August placed Trump’s approval rating at just 38%, with 60% disapproving. The Economist/YouGov poll found similar results, with 40% approval and 56% disapproval.

Donald Trump’s net approval rating has fallen to -15, down one point since last week. See how Americans are feeling about their president with our tracker https://t.co/GEtllDY7gN pic.twitter.com/zMw869HoCm

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) August 20, 2025

Gallup reported an even lower figure, 37% approval, the lowest of his second term, driven by a steep decline among independents. Axios noted that Republican support has slipped as well, falling from 92% in January to 83% in recent polls, reflecting growing unease over his handling of economic and governance issues.

It is worth noting that the cumulative effect of Trump’s deployments, ranging from crime control to immigration enforcement, marks the most extensive domestic military deployment by any modern US president. While not yet martial law, experts argue these moves are steadily eroding traditional boundaries between military and civilian authority.

As Military Times reported, Trump has suggested New York City could be next, following his planned Chicago National Guard deployment, insisting that he could keep troops in Washington “as long as I want” by declaring a national emergency has further alarmed critics.