President Donald Trump defended his use of the National Guard for policing in Washington, DC − and his threats to deploy troops to other cities − against criticism that he's acting like an authoritarian, saying "I'm not a dictator."
Discussing the possibility of deploying the National Guard in Chicago next, Trump said during an Aug. 25 White House event: “They say: 'We don’t need him. Freedom, freedom, he’s a dictator.' "
"A lot of people are saying maybe we like a dictator," Trump added. "I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense and a smart person."
Trump began deploying National Guard troops in DC earlier this month, declaring a crime emergency even as data shows violent crime trending down, and has steadily escalated the operation while threatening to expand it to other communities. Republican-controlled states are sending guard units to DC, and the troops are now carrying weapons.
Trump said Aug. 22 that Chicago will "be our next one after this." The mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois, both Democrats, said deploying the National Guard there would be unwelcome.
"Things People are NOT begging for: 1. An authoritarian power grab of major cities," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote on social media.
Trump criticized Pritzker during his Aug. 25 comments, calling him a "slob."
“I don’t like going to a town, city, place, a state and then be criticized by some corrupt or incompetent governor where crime is rampant," Trump said, adding later that he believes "people want us there."
Trump signed a series of executive orders focused on criminal justice issues Aug. 25. One of the targets is cashless bail. Another directs the secretary of defense to train National Guard units specifically to deal with "public order" issues.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump defends use of National Guard for policing: 'I'm not a dictator'
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