Chicago business community at center of Trump's troop plans
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A Chicago Police Department vehicle parked outside the Burberry store on Michigan Avenue in May. Photo: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump is once again saying he will bring federal troops to Chicago after listening to a "very high-quality" businessman.
The big picture: Trump claims that deploying the National Guard in Washington, D.C. has eliminated crime, but several local business owners say it has hurt them.
- The Illinois Restaurant Association has similar concerns. "The presence of the National Guard will disrupt restaurant operations and create unnecessary fear amongst Chicago diners," Sam Toia, CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, told Axios.
- Downtown advocates are also worried. "The Trump administration's proposed actions harm our efforts in encouraging Chicagoans and visitors to feel safe and enjoy the Loop's bountiful amenities," Michael Edwards, president and CEO of Chicago Loop Alliance, tells Axios.
- "We have seen how the sudden deployment of federal troops in other cities can needlessly disrupt communities and businesses, hurt local economies, and deter tourism," Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce CEO Jack Lavin tells Axios. "The best path forward is partnership and collaboration."
State of play: The president continues to criticize Chicago.
- "Chicago is a death trap. I'm going to go to Chicago early against Pritzker. Pritzker is nothing," Trump said Tuesday.
- He's also called Chicago a "hellhole" and a "disaster."
What they're saying: "We're going to wait a little while, but we're going to save Chicago," Trump said. "We can't let it go."
The intrigue: The businessman Trump was referring to is reportedly Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena, according to Politico. Union Pacific is based in Omaha, Nebraska, but has facilities in the Chicago area.
Zoom in: Chicago's business community has always leaned more conservative, mostly supporting Paul Vallas in the last mayoral election and rejecting the more left-leaning Brandon Johnson.
- During Johnson's mayoral tenure, the business community has fought initiatives that would raise taxes for social services, while also lobbying to roll back minimum wage increases for tipped workers.
Flashback: It's only been three years since one of the country's most high-profile business operators left the city. Ken Griffin uprooted his hedge fund from Chicago in 2022, citing high crime as one of the reasons.
Yes, but: That was before the city started seeing a drastic decrease in violent crime under the Johnson administration. In fact, one study suggests that this summer has had the fewest murders since 1965.
- Zoom in: When asked about whether he believes the business community wants the National Guard in Chicago, the mayor bluntly told Axios, "no."
Reality check: High-profile incidents aren't helping the mayor's argument.
- In the span of two weeks, thieves smashed the window of the Rolex and Louis Vuitton stores near the Mag Mile. While leaving the Louis Vuitton store, the thieves crashed into a bystander's car on Michigan Avenue, killing the driver.
- "We are going to have more substantive conversations with business leaders in the city to find ways in which we can prevent these types of violent acts from occurring," Johnson said Tuesday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and details on the businessman President Trump was referring to in his comments.