Overview

• The president signed an order directing the Pentagon to establish specialized National Guard public‑order units and a rapid nationwide quick‑reaction force.
• About 2,000 National Guard members are operating in Washington, where they have been authorized to carry service‑issued pistols while on patrol.
• After labeling Chicago a “killing field,” Trump said he wants cities to request help and left a potential deployment undecided.
• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson rejected any troop surge as unnecessary and unconstitutional, pointing to steep drops in homicides and robberies.
• U.S. officials told Reuters that initial Pentagon planning for a possible Chicago mission exists, though no orders have been issued.