The Sconi

Scott Walker, former Governor of Wisconsin, has urged Illinois leaders to prioritize public safety and suggested the potential deployment of the National Guard in Chicago. Walker's statement was made on the social media platform X.

"I just wish the politicians in Illinois were more worried about public safety than they are about gearing up against President Trump," said Walker. "People deserve to be safe. I called the National Guard in to preserve safety in Milwaukee. The Governor of Illinois could do the same for Chicago."

In 2025, Illinois leaders resisted President Donald Trump's calls to deploy the National Guard and federal forces in Chicago, arguing that such actions would be unconstitutional and could undermine local strategies. Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson emphasized community-based crime prevention and intervention over external interventions, according to Reuters and WTTW.

Chicago's crime rates have shown improvement. The Council on Criminal Justice reported that homicides between July 2024 and June 2025 decreased by 13% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2018–2019. Additionally, aggravated assaults dropped by 16%, and gun assaults declined by 27% when comparing the first half of 2025 to the same period in 2024.

While Chicago contemplates potential federal Guard deployments, Milwaukee has experienced more limited proposals. For instance, the Milwaukee Police Association called for Guard support during street takeovers in 2025. Political leaders strongly opposed these proposals, citing concerns about civil liberties and legality. According to Fox6 and WTTW, these differences highlight how National Guard use varies across Midwestern cities.

Walker served as Governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019 after holding office as Milwaukee County Executive and serving in the State Assembly. Ballotpedia notes that he is known for Act 10, which curtailed collective bargaining rights for public employees, as well as enacting tax cuts and pursuing conservative social policies. He also briefly ran for president in 2016.