Overview

• Announcing the expansion on August 22, the president said Chicago would be targeted next and vowed to then “help New York,” calling Chicago “a mess” and its mayor incompetent while offering no timetable.
• A Pentagon official said more than 1,900 National Guard troops operating in Washington will soon carry service weapons after being deployed under federal authority since August 11.
• Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, rejected claims of a crime surge, saying the city’s crime rate is at a 30-year low.
• Criticism mounted from Democratic officials, with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and D.C. Council member Charles Allen warning the moves reflect an authoritarian power grab.
• Earlier this year, the administration sent the Guard and Marines to Los Angeles over the governor’s objections, and Axios reports Baltimore, Oakland, and parts of California could be considered for future deployments.