Trump walks back Chicago 'war' threat, but vows to 'clean up' cities

(NPR) President Trump says he doesn't intend to "go to war" with American cities but is vowing to "clean them up" in his latest comments on an apparent plan to send National Guard troops to U.S. metropolitan areas to help fight crime or assist with deportations of suspected undocumented immigrants.

Trump was asked Sunday whether he was threatening war with Chicago following a post on his website Truth Social one day earlier.

"We're not going to war. We're going to clean up our cities," Trump told reporters on Sunday as he left the White House. "We're going to clean them up so they don't kill five people every weekend. That's not war, that's common sense."

https://www.npr.org/2025/09/07/nx-s1-5533191/trump-chicago-threat-baltimore-new-orleans