Trump Rips Pritzker’s Record, Floats National Guard Plan for Chicago [WATCH]

President Donald Trump on Monday criticized Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, calling him incompetent, and said he may deploy the National Guard to Chicago to address crime.

He also pledged to reverse Illinois’ elimination of cash bail.

Speaking in Washington, D.C., while announcing new federal law enforcement measures for the capital, Trump said the same approach could be used in other cities with high crime rates.

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“And if we need to, we’re going to do the same thing in Chicago, which is a disaster,” Trump said.

“We have a mayor there who’s totally incompetent. He’s an incompetent man. And we have an incompetent governor. That Pritzker’s an incompetent. His family threw him out of the business, and he ran for governor.”

Trump also suggested that Pritzker may be considering a run for the presidency in 2028.

“And now I understand he wants to be president, but I noticed he lost a little weight, so maybe he has a chance,” Trump said.

“You know, you never know what happens. But Pritzker is a gross, incompetent guy, thrown out of the family business.”

Trump just destroyed Pritzker – …he’s a gross incompetent and got thrown out the family business -l hear he’s thinking of running for president. He lost a little weight. Maybe it can happen. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/OoDYgAZHBK

— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) August 11, 2025

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Later Monday, Pritzker responded, saying Trump lacks the authority to send troops into Chicago.

“As to everything else that he had to say this morning, I guess I should say thank you for the compliment,” Pritzker said at a separate event.

Pritzker called Trump a cheater, a convicted felon, and someone who has declared bankruptcy several times.

For Democrats like @GovPritzker, solving problems takes a back seat to legal jargon and self-praise.

When @POTUS said today he’ll clean up Chicago’s crime, Pritzker laughed with reporters, leaned on Posse Comitatus, and claimed he “has no right” to act—despite Trump acting in… pic.twitter.com/3yg8r6xI08

— Midwest Millennial (@MillennialVerse) August 12, 2025

Trump also addressed public safety policies more broadly, including his opposition to no-cash bail laws.

“That’s what started it in Chicago. I mean, bad politicians started and bad leadership started it. But that was the one thing that’s central. No cash bail,” Trump said.

“Somebody murders somebody and they’re out on no cash bail before the day is out. We’re going to end that in Chicago. We’re going to change the statute.”

Illinois became the first state to abolish cash bail in 2023, implementing the policy through the Pretrial Fairness Act.

The Network for Pretrial Justice issued a statement Monday defending the policy and rejecting Trump’s criticisms.

The organization said that violent crime has decreased since the elimination of cash bail and argued that Trump’s proposals would harm marginalized communities.

“Illinois is showing the country a way out of the policies of mass incarceration that have failed to keep our communities safe,” the group said.

“We will not be bullied by a president who is more concerned with his public image than he is public safety. The Pretrial Fairness Act is working, and Illinois is safer because of it.”

Trump’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about crime rates and public safety policies across the country, with both supporters and opponents voicing sharply different assessments of the effectiveness of Illinois’ no-cash bail system and the potential role of federal intervention in city policing.