Trump defends the deployment of the national guard amid setback, shooting back from critics: 'I'm not a dictator'

US President Donald Trump defended his use of the National Guard in Washington, DC, and threatened the deployments to other cities, including Chicago, and demanded that he be not a dictator. President Donald Trump speaks during the White House Oval Office, Monday, August 25, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP) US President Donald Trump defended his use of the National Guard for Policing in Washington, DC, and his threats to deploy troops to other cities, demanding that he act like an authoritarian. Trump said at a White House event on August 25: ‘They say,’ We don’t need him. Freedom, freedom, he is a dictator. “Many people say maybe we like a dictator. “Things people are begging for: 1. Cheaper groceries 2. No Medicaid and Snap Cuts 3.. Release of the Epstein files for which people do not beg: 1. An authoritarian power grab of big cities,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wrote, formerly Twitter. Trump rejected such criticism and called the governor a ‘slab’ and claimed: ‘I don’t like going to a city, city, place, a state and then being criticized by a corrupt or incompetent governor where crime is ominous. People want us there. ‘ DC deployment and crime context The president started sending the national guard troops to Washington earlier this month and declaring an emergency, despite the fact that the violent crime was allegedly inclined. Political reactions The mayor of Chicago and Governor Pritzker, both Democrats, publicly opposed possible deployments, and warned that they would be unwelcome. Trump’s remarks emphasize continuous tension between federal and local authorities on the scope and authority of the deployment of national guards. Trump’s justification in his remarks drew up the deployment as a response to rising crime, which defends federal actions, as needed to maintain safety in major cities and to support local law enforcement.