Texas Governor Greg Abbott is pushing back against claims from Illinois officials that National Guard troops from Texas are preparing to deploy to Chicago.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said this week he had been told Texas was staging troops for a possible mission in his state, where President Trump has announced plans to send federal forces to Chicago and Baltimore to fight crime. But Abbott’s office released a statement calling the report “false” and saying there are “no plans” to send Texas Guard members outside the state.
Pritzker has not named his sources, but he described them as “patriotic individuals” with knowledge of the situation. He has also criticized the idea of using federal or out-of-state troops, calling it unnecessary and politically motivated.
The back-and-forth comes as Trump says he will order federal intervention in Chicago and Baltimore over local opposition, setting up a new clash between the White House and city leaders.