Trump pushes Chicago deployment, denies health rumors, eyes Venezuela

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Sep 2025 23:29

At a White House press conference, President Trump defended his health, confirmed plans for a Chicago troop deployment, and touted US naval actions against Venezuela, intensifying both domestic legal battles and regional tensions.

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President Donald Trump speaks during an event about the relocation of US Space Command headquarters from Colorado to Alabama in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday combined domestic and foreign security messages in a wide-ranging press conference, confirming plans for a Chicago troop deployment, brushing off health rumors, and touting actions against Venezuela.

The president reiterated his intention to send federal forces into Chicago, calling the city a crime-ridden "hellhole." "We’re going in," Trump declared, though he offered no timeline. He argued that earlier deployments of National Guard forces in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, had reduced crime in "Democrat-run cities."

Behind the scenes, Pentagon planners have reportedly sketched options that would involve "at least a few thousand" National Guard troops in Chicago, with the use of active-duty forces also under discussion.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker blasted the idea as an "invasion," warning of political motives, while Chicago’s mayor issued an order telling city agencies not to cooperate, though legal experts caution that local authority is limited in the face of federal moves.

Courts are already weighing challenges to Trump’s June deployment of Marines and Guard units in Los Angeles, raising constitutional questions about the president’s use of military force on US soil.

Health speculation

At 79, Trump also faced a torrent of speculation about his health after he spent nearly a week out of public view, the longest stretch since taking office.

Hashtags like #TrumpDead and #WhereIsTrump trended on social media, fueled by reports of bruising on his hand and swelling in his ankles, which the White House attributed to chronic venous insufficiency and aspirin use.

Some rumors even suggested hospitalization at Walter Reed or a poisoning plot involving Russian officials in Alaska. Trump dismissed it all as "fake news," insisting, "I was very active over the weekend."

On his Truth Social account, he claimed he had "never felt better in my life," and was later photographed golfing on Labor Day. His son Eric and Vice President J.D. Vance publicly vouched for his "incredibly good health," though media figures such as Chuck Todd argued that the president was "clearly hiding something."

Global flashpoints

On foreign policy, Trump signaled new developments in the Ukraine conflict, saying he had uncovered "very interesting" information and promising, "in the next few days you’ll find out."

He then turned to Venezuela, announcing that US forces had destroyed a vessel carrying narcotics. "We shot out a boat…, a drug-carrying boat, lots of drugs in that boat. So we took it out," he told reporters.

The remark came as US warships and thousands of Marines remain stationed in the Caribbean. Washington has framed the buildup as a counternarcotics mission, but Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has branded it "immoral, criminal, and illegal," declaring the country "impenetrable."

Maduro, flanked by defense chiefs, has mobilized regular troops, militias, and naval patrols while receiving backing from Cuba, Colombia, and Iran. The US recently doubled its bounty on Maduro to $50 million, intensifying the confrontation.