United States President Donald Trump said on Monday he planned to send members of the US National Guard to fight crime in Chicago, but declined to specify the exact timing of the deployment, Reuters reported.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said over the weekend that Chicago police would not cooperate with either National Guard members or federal agents if Trump sends them to the city in the coming days, as he had previously threatened.
"We're going there. I didn't say when, but we're going," Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office.
However, at one point Trump hinted that he wanted a request from mayors, saying: "I would love to get calls from governors and mayors saying they need help."
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat who is also being mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2028, previously said that the president does not have the legal authority to deploy troops to his state unless requested by the governor.
Trump has long threatened to expand his federal crackdown on Democratic-led cities to Chicago, presenting the use of presidential powers as an urgent effort to crack down on crime, even as city officials point to a decline in homicides, gun violence and burglaries.
Local officials and residents of Chicago, the nation's third-largest city, are preparing for the possible arrival of federal agents and troops.
The Democratic mayor, surrounded by other city leaders, signed an executive order on Saturday aimed at preparing Chicago for any federal law enforcement operation, such as Trump has already organized in Los Angeles and Washington.
A federal judge today blocked the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to the US state of California to fight crime, Reuters reported earlier today.
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He said that reports on social media about his poor health were incorrect.
Trump also said that reports on social media about his poor health were false, saying that he had been busy giving media interviews and visiting his golf club in Virginia over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
"I was very active over the weekend," Trump told reporters.
When asked if he was aware of these reports, he called them "fake news."
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said on July 17 that Trump had swelling in his lower legs and a bruise on his right hand, after photos showed swollen ankles and makeup covering part of his hand.
Trump's physician, Sean Barbella, said in a letter released by the White House that tests confirmed that the leg problem was due to "chronic venous insufficiency," a benign and common condition, especially in people over 70.
The doctor added that the bruises on Trump's hand were consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshakes and the use of aspirin, which Trump takes as part of a "standard cardiovascular preventive regimen."
Since then, the White House has downplayed concerns about Trump's health, stating that he is coping with his leg problem without difficulty, but without specifying the method of treatment.
Trump, who is 79 years old, became the oldest person to assume the presidency of the United States in January.
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