CHICAGO:
US President Donald Trump’s ultimate aim in sending troops to American cities is to seize control of elections in 2026, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said Sunday, calling such deployments an invasion.
Trump — who has unleashed unprecedented military patrols in Los Angeles and Washington to curb protests against his immigrant deportation drive and combat what he deems out-of-control crime — has said he’s also considering sending troops to cities like Baltimore and Chicago.
Democrat Pritzker said there had been no effort by the Trump administration to coordinate such plans with officials in Illinois, a Democratic stronghold.
“So it’s clear that, in secret, they’re planning this, well, it’s an invasion with US troops, if they in fact do that,” Pritzker told CBS Sunday show “Face the Nation.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier said any decision to send National Guard reservists or other troops was up to Trump.
