President Trump doubled down on his threat to send the National Guard to Chicago, but local leaders are voicing doubts about the legality of the move.

The big picture: Trump says he wants to use the military presence in Chicago to fight crime, homelessness and undocumented immigration, but while the home rule laws in Washington, D.C., make it easier to federalize law enforcement, it's unclear if the law supports this in Illinois.

What they're saying: "We're going to take him to court. There is no law on the books that allows him to put federalized troops on the streets of Chicago," Gov. JB Pritzker said yesterday.

• "The whole point of the system of state control of local law enforcement and of state militias is as a check against federal abuse of power," Northwestern University law professor Paul Gowder said in a statement. "This has been true since the founding of the United States, and the only alteration to this system of divided power was after the Civil War."

Between the lines: Usually, the president and a state's governor are in lockstep to mobilize the National Guard. In this case, Pritzker is against it, but Trump could still federalize state troops without the governor's approval.

Yes, but: The force would be limited to protecting federal assets and federal employees, like ICE agents, unless the president evokes the Insurrection Act of 1807, which allows the commander-in-chief to use those troops to quell insurrection or unrest.

• Trump says he has the right to mobilize because Chicago is a "disaster."

State of play: The National Guard has been deployed during major moments of civil unrest — but this time, Trump is proposing to activate them preemptively. That's a big shift.

Zoom out: If you were anywhere near the DNC at the United Center last August, you might have seen how a federal troop deployment could play out.

• Chicago police upped the ante with tactical and riot gear, while other federal agents and soldiers secured checkpoints, carrying rifles and other military weaponry.

The other side

Illinois Republican leaders are mostly supporting President Trump's proposal to bring the National Guard to Chicago to fight crime.

The big picture: While Chicago is majority-Democratic, downstate Republicans are seizing the opportunity to score political points.

What they're saying: "Families are burying their children, businesses are shuttering, and entire neighborhoods live in fear," former GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey said in a statement.

Republicans closer to the city also took shots at Democrats.

• "President Trump points out what everyone can see: shootings, carjackings, and violent robberies are still plaguing Chicago communities," Sean Morrison, the lone Republican Cook County commissioner, said in a statement.

Yes, but: Some others were quick to distance themselves from Bailey's rhetoric.

• "Republicans north of I-80 do not support Mayor Johnson's soft-on-crime approach, but Darren Bailey's demand that the mayor be arrested is more of the same attention-seeking approach to governing that gave him an overwhelming defeat when he ran for governor," former Illinois GOP chair Pat Brady tells Axios.
• "He should stick to farming."

Go deeper

🧑🏼‍🦲 Dozens of people — and even cats — competed for "Baddest Baldie" and "Baldest Baddie" at a "Bald Off" competition Sunday night in Lakeview. (Axios)

✍🏼 President Trump signed an executive order to restrict federal funding from cities and states that permit cashless bail, such as Illinois. (ABC 7)

🎧 Chicago sports radio host Dan Bernstein takes the blame for his firing from 670 The Score in March and says he's been working on his mental health. He just launched a new daily podcast. (Axios)

🏀 The Sky retired Candace Parker's jersey last night at Wintrust Arena. (Sun-Times)

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center has opened a temporary exhibition space in River North while the Skokie museum undergoes an $8 million renovation.

The big picture: The renovations aim to modernize the nearly 20-year-old space with a larger welcome center, a redesigned auditorium and a new reflection space.

Zoom in: A mural by Chicago artist Ryan Duggan greets visitors, depicting a 1977 protest against a Nazi march in what was then a largely Jewish Skokie.

• After that protest, Chicago-area Holocaust survivors opened an education center in a Skokie storefront. The current Stanley Tigerman-designed museum opened in 2009.

If you go: "A Panoramic View Through History and Time" is open 10am-5pm every day at Experience360, 360 N. State St.

What's next

👋🏻 Hi, it's Carrie!

I was on vacation last week in southwest Michigan, so this week's vintage store spotlight comes from across the border!

The spot: RA Harbert Antique Mall, at 13887 Red Arrow Hwy. in Harbert.

The vibe: Antique mall layout with kiosks from different vendors specializing in jewelry, vintage clothing, furniture and overall ephemera.

• Sometimes places like this are overwhelming in size but underwhelming in merchandise (yes, I know, one woman's trash is another's treasure.)

My treasures: A '70s floor-length linen floral dress with butterfly collar ($110). I biffed and didn't purchase another beaut I was eying — a 1940s, silk dress with a sweetheart neckline and attached handkerchief ($159).

🛍️ Eight-word review: Great roadside stop to hunt for memorable finds.

The first round of voting is complete in our quest to crown the best sports uniform in Chicago history.

Biggest win: The Blackhawks sweater (home) walloped the Fire FC jersey. (90%-10%)

Closest win: The Bulls (away) barely beat the Bears (away) jerseys. (53%-47%)

Biggest surprise: We would have thought the 1970s White Sox shorts would have done better, but they lost big to the other White Sox vintage look. (75%-25%)

State of play: We are down to eight jerseys.

Vote here! We'll keep the polls open until 4pm.

Our 16" team lost last night, bringing the 2025 season to a close.

• Are we better journalists than hitters? We like to think so. But, hey, we had fun!