ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump on Monday defended his proposed federal intervention in Chicago, arguing it would "help" rather than "hurt" residents.
"6 people were murdered in Chicago this weekend, 12 others were shot, and in serious condition," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. "This would mean that over the past number of weeks, approximately 50 people were killed, and hundreds were shot, many expected to die."
He criticized Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for rejecting federal assistance, writing: "Governor Pritzker just stated that he doesn't want Federal Government HELP! WHY??? What is wrong with this guy."
"I want to help the people of Chicago, not hurt them. Only the Criminals will be hurt," he said.
Trump urged state residents to demand protection, and warned: "IT IS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE!!! ACT NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!"
According to him, Washington, DC, has become a "SAFE ZONE IN JUST A MATTER OF WEEKS" under federal intervention.
White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that federal authorities will conduct operations in sanctuary cities, with Chicago may face action as early as this week.
Trump appeared to moderate his rhetoric Sunday, saying: "We're not going to war. We're going to clean up our cities," after previously writing that Chicago would "find out why it's called the Department of WAR.”
Both Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have opposed federal intervention.
Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, DC on Aug. 11, ordering the federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department and deploying more than 2,000 troops, including reinforcements from Republican-led states, vowing to target more jurisdictions around the country.