Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Wednesday said U.S. President Donald Trump's move to possibly deploy the National Guard in Chicago would "cause fear and, frankly, to inflame people on the ground."

"He's only doing it because he wants to disrupt future elections," Pritzker told the Associated Press.

Pritzker added that he didn't receive any call from the White House and neither did the Chicago Police Department or the Illinois State Police.

The Governor suggested that the President should instead help the state hiring more police forces.

Overall, violent crime in Chicago dropped significantly in the first half of 2025, representing the steepest decline in over a decade, according to police data.

Shootings and homicides were down more than 30% in the first half of the year compared to the same time last year, and total violent crime dropped by over 22%.

(AP Video shot by Obed Lamy)