chicago, IL โ- Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker stated that the Trump management requested the deployment of federal troops to โขChicago to quell unrest during the summer of 2020, a move he vehemently opposed.โข the revelation, made during a โpanel discussion at theโข Economic Club of Chicago on Monday,โ underscores the contentious relationship between โthe then-President Trump and state and local leaders during โฃa period of heightened social and political tension.
Pritzker described receiving a direct request from the โTrump administration to send โfederal troops to Chicago, alongside similar proposals for other major citiesโ experiencing protests following the death of George Floyd. He asserted he “flatly rejected” the offer, emphasizing the importance ofโ local control and the โฃpotential for escalating conflict. “We โขwere very clear with the Trump administration thatโฃ we did not want federal troops in Illinois,” Pritzker saeid,โค according to the Chicago โSun-Times.”We were worried aboutโ escalating things, and we were worried about theโ constitutional issues.”
The request came amid widespread protests and โcivil unrest across the United States in โคthe summer ofโ 2020,sparked byโ the killing of George floyd by โa Minneapolis police officer. The Trumpโ administration repeatedlyโ offered to deploy federal law enforcement and Nationalโ Guard troops to cities experiencing demonstrations, often framing it as a necessary step to restore order. These offers were met with resistance from โmanny Democratic governors and mayors, who argued that the federal government lacked the authority to intervene in โlocal law enforcement matters and thatโ the presence of federal troops could further โฃinflame tensions. โ
The incident highlights a broaderโ pattern ofโฃ conflict between the Trump administration and state and local officials over the handling of protests and civil unrest.โค The administration’s attempts to deploy federal โฃforces to โcities like Portland, Oregon, also drew sharp criticismโฃ and legal challenges.
Reporting on the story includes contributions from Heather Schlitz and Emily Schmall of Reuters,with Schlitz covering commodity marketsโค andโฃ agriculture from Chicago,and Schmall leading the Chicago-based agricultural team,focusing onโ commodities,trade,and the โฃfarm โeconomy. Schmall previously reported for the Associated โPress and theโฃ new โฃYork Times, includingโ an โaward-winning examination into the economic marginalization of young women in india.