Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is once again putting politics before public safety. This time, he rejected President Trump’s call to deploy the National Guard to help control rising crime in Chicago. The White House didn’t hold back. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson called out Pritzker directly, saying he cares more about scoring points online than protecting his city. She said what a lot of Americans are thinking: Pritzker should be ashamed of himself.
Let’s be clear—President Trump isn’t trying to “invade” Illinois. He’s trying to stop the violence that has turned cities like Chicago into war zones. Everyone knows crime has been out of control there for years. Gangs are running wild, and innocent people are paying the price. When the federal government offers help, a responsible governor says yes. But Pritzker would rather fight Trump than fight crime.
Pritzker called the President’s plan “un-American.” That’s rich coming from a guy who refuses to enforce immigration laws and lets criminals run loose in his state. He says Illinois doesn’t need troops because local police are handling it. But ask folks in Chicago if they feel safe walking down the street. The truth is, law enforcement is overwhelmed, and backup is badly needed.
President Trump asked for the Illinois National Guard to step in. That’s well within his rights when it comes to protecting federal property and employees. When Pritzker refused, Texas Governor Greg Abbott stepped up. He authorized 400 Texas National Guard troops to head to Illinois and Oregon to protect federal officers and help restore order.
Governor Abbott didn’t mince words. He said either local leaders do their jobs, or Texas will step in and do it for them. That’s what leadership looks like. He didn’t sit around whining about politics. He took action to keep Americans safe.
Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are now suing to block the deployment. Instead of welcoming help, they’re wasting taxpayer money on lawyers. All because they don’t like the man in the White House. That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice.
Pritzker says Trump is using the National Guard as “political props.” But it’s Pritzker using this moment to raise his national profile. He’s clearly trying to set himself up for a 2028 presidential run. And he’s doing it by opposing anything Trump does, even if it puts lives at risk.
Illinois Democrats like Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are backing him up, calling Trump a “wannabe dictator.” That’s nonsense. There’s nothing dictatorial about enforcing the law and keeping citizens safe. What’s dangerous is letting cities collapse while pretending everything is fine.
President Trump has used the National Guard before, in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, when protests turned violent. And those troops helped restore peace. That’s what they’re trained to do. Asking them to step in now is not extreme—it’s responsible.
A federal judge recently blocked Trump’s effort to send troops to Oregon. But that doesn’t change the fact that federal officers are under attack in blue cities. ICE agents, who are doing their jobs enforcing immigration laws, are being harassed and threatened. If local officials won’t protect them, someone has to.
As a veteran, I’ve seen what happens when leaders fail to act. You don’t wait until things are out of control. You get ahead of the problem. That’s what President Trump is trying to do. And it’s what Pritzker refuses to understand.
At the end of the day, this isn’t about politics. It’s about safety, law and order, and doing what’s right. Governors like Pritzker are turning their backs on the people they swore to protect. That’s unacceptable. America deserves better, and under President Trump, we’re going to get it.
