Governor Pritzker Claps Back at Trump's Offer to Stop Crime in Chicago by Highlighting GOP-Led States With Higher Homicide Rates

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker rejected once again President Donald Trump's suggestion that federal troops are needed to address crime in Chicago, responding directly to a Truth Social post in which Trump accused him of refusing to seek help despite high levels of violence.

"Governor Pritzker had 6 murders in Chicago this weekend. 20 people were shot. But he doesn't want to ask me for help," Trump wrote on Wednesday. "The people are desperate for me to STOP THE CRIME, something the Democrats aren't capable of doing. STAY TUNED!!!"

Pritzker replied on X, saying that federal statistics contradict Trump's claims. "According to federal data, 13 of the top 20 cities in homicide rates have Republican governors. None of those cities are Chicago. 8 of the top 10 states in homicide rates are led by Republicans. None of those states are Illinois. And yet Trump is sending troops here."

Pritzker later added a post with a link to an interview published on Thursday by The Associated Press, along with a caption that reads: "We don't need or want you here, Donald."

During the interview with the AP, Pritzker emphasized that "there's no emergency happening in Chicago," citing revitalization efforts and recent declines in violent crime. Chicago recorded 573 homicides in 2024, the most of any U.S. city, but city data show violent crime dropped more than 22 percent in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier.

"We've been fighting crime. We've been trying to prevent crime and it's been working," Pritzker said.

The exchange between both politicians on social media follows earlier personal and political attacks between them this week. On Monday, Trump mocked Pritzker's weight, saying he should "spend more time in the gym." Pritzker responded that "it takes one to know one on the weight question" and said Trump himself "is not in good shape." He also dismissed the attacks as evidence of Trump being "the kind of bully that throws invectives at people."

The dispute comes as Trump continues to float deploying the National Guard to Chicago and other Democratic-led cities, citing public concern about urban crime. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and local leaders have vowed to resist, with Pritzker saying Thursday that Trump is attempting "to inflame something that will cause a problem that he can then point at."