US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump announced that he plans to send National Guard troops to Chicago, citing the city’s recent surge in violence and calling it a “hellhole” plagued by shootings.

Trump suggested that Baltimore could also see a federal deployment, though he did not provide a timeline.

“We’re going in,” Trump said during a briefing at the Oval Office.

Trump denied charges he is strictly targeting cities run by his political opponents for his anti-crime campaign and his crackdown on undocumented migrants.

“This isn’t a political thing. I have an obligation.”

President Trump on deploying the National Guard to Chicago: "Well, we're going in. I didn't say when. We're going in." pic.twitter.com/2aftAQqz0s

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 2, 2025

He pointed to recent weekend statistics, noting at least eight deaths and 58 injuries from shootings in Chicago, and called the city “the worst and most dangerous city in the world, by far.”

Trump also posted on Truth Social, declaring, “CHICAGO IS THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!”

The president’s plan follows previous deployments of National Guard troops to Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, which he claimed had reduced crime.

However, a federal judge recently barred the use of troops in California for law enforcement duties, warning that Trump appeared intent on “creating a national police force with the President as its chief.”

Chicago officials strongly oppose the move.

Mayor Brandon Johnson warned, “No federal troops in the city of Chicago! No militarized force in the city of Chicago!”

He signed an executive order at the end of August preparing the city to resist any federal enforcement operation, and confirmed that Chicago police would not collaborate with National Guard troops or federal agents for immigration or law enforcement functions.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also criticized Trump’s plan this evening, calling it “a political drama to cover up for his corruption” and insisting, “the city does not want troops on our streets.”

Pritzker has clashed with Trump in recent days, accusing the president of preparing “an invasion.”

While Chicago has a history of gun violence, city data indicates that overall crime, including homicides, has declined in the past year.

The city has recorded 278 homicides in 2025, a 22 per cent decrease compared to the same period last year.

Baltimore has also reported its lowest homicide total in more than 50 years, with 84 murders so far this year.

Additional reporting from AFP