Bailey blasts Pritzker, Johnson amid Trump’s threat to send troops to Chicago
Darren Bailey blasts Pritzker and Johnson after Trump threatens troops in Chicago, tying law-and-order to his bid against Rep. Mike Bost.
Photo: Willian Justen de Vasconcellos/PEXELS
Residents enjoy a peaceful evening on lake front in Chicago. Despite violence has dropped over the past five years, President Trump has threatened to send military troops to the Illinois city to help police the city. Neither the city or the state have requested Federal assistance to help with law enforcement efforts.
LOUISVILLE - Former state senator Darren Bailey blasted Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson this week after President Donald Trump threatened to send U.S. troops to Chicago to address crime. Bailey, who lost his 2022 gubernatorial race to Pritzker and is now challenging fellow Republican Rep. Mike Bost in Illinois’ 12th District, accused Democratic leaders of ignoring public safety for political gain.
“If Brandon Johnson and JB Pritzker try to block the National Guard from coming into Chicago, they should be thrown in jail. They are siding with criminals and putting politics ahead of the safety of families,” Bailey said in a statement. “Families are burying their children, businesses are shuttering, and entire neighborhoods live in fear. For Pritzker and Johnson to say there’s no emergency is disgraceful.”
Bailey has made law-and-order themes central to his campaigns, portraying Chicago as symbolic of failed Democratic leadership at both state and city levels. His comments come as Trump revived talk of federal intervention in Chicago, despite declining crime rates.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Thousands of protestors walk the streets of Chicago during the 2017 Womens March on Chicago. The demonstration brought more than 250,000 together people together on the first day of Trump's first term. Governor Pritzker and community leaders told the media troops are not wanted or needed on the streets of Chicago.
Speaking in the Oval Office after signing executive orders aimed at curbing cashless bail, Trump suggested the Pentagon was ready to act. “We can go anywhere on less than 24 hours’ notice,” Trump said. “They need help. We may wait. We may or may not, we may just go in and do it, which is probably what we should do.”
Later, Trump acknowledged he had not received a request from Illinois leaders. “I didn’t get a request from the governor,” he said. “Illinois is affected maybe more than anybody else. And I think until I get that request from that guy, I’m not going to do anything about it.”
Gov. Pritzker, joined by business and community leaders, dismissed Trump’s statements as political theater. He pointed to crime data showing marked improvements in Chicago this year. “There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention,” Pritzker said. “This is about Donald Trump searching for any justification to deploy the military in a blue city, in a blue state, to try to intimidate his political rivals.”
Pritzker defeated Bailey, earning a second term with 55% of the popular vote. The Pritzker is one of serveral contenders for the next presidential election.
City statistics show gun violence dropped 25% in the first half of 2025 compared with last year, and 41% below the average reported between 2020 and 2024. Homicides also fell below 2019 levels, before the nationwide surge that followed the COVID-19 pandemic.
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