Trump Escalates Pressure on Chicago, Urges National Guard Deployment After Violent Attacks
Donald Trump is continuing to put pressure on major U.S. cities. During his turkey pardoning ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, the president again pushed for the deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago.
At the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon, Trump spoke about far more than turkeys. He referred to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as a “fat slob” and renewed his threat to authorize National Guard intervention in the Windy City to address crime—pointing to several recent violent incidents, including the case of 26-year-old Bethany MaGee.
MaGee was reportedly set on fire in a horrific attack on a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train last week. The accused attacker, 50-year-old Lawrence Reed, has been arrested more than 70 times, according to CBS. At the time of the assault, he was wearing an ankle monitor and subject to a curfew following an alleged violent offense in August. Reed is now in custody awaiting trial, while MaGee remains in critical condition with severe burns to her face and body.
Chicago also experienced multiple shootings last week, including two on Friday night.
“This is a very serious thing,” Trump said during his Thanksgiving address. “They burned this beautiful woman riding in a train. A man was arrested 72 times. Seventy-two times. Think of that. And they’ll let him out again—the liberal judges will let him out again.”
Trump continues to demand National Guard deployment in Chicago
Trump claimed that previous deployments in cities such as Los Angeles and Memphis resulted in dramatic drops in crime. Illinois Gov. Pritzker has rejected the idea of sending in troops, calling the move unconstitutional, but Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to force action in Chicago.
“But we’re ready to go,” Trump said. “You know, we’ve been moving toward Chicago. We have a governor who thinks it’s wonderful that only like seven people were killed this week… It’s horrible what’s happening in Chicago.” He added that a federal response could make the city “totally safe” within weeks.
“And the people of Chicago want us to go there. If you look at the crime that’s taken place in the last two weeks—just take a look. It’s on the front page of every newspaper,” Trump continued. “It’s out of control. The mayor is incompetent, and the governor is a big fat slob. He ought to invite us in and say, ‘Please make Chicago safe.’ We’re going to lose a great city if we don’t do it quickly.”
Pritzker later responded to Trump’s insult, saying, “It takes one to know one on the weight question.”
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