President Donald Trump signalled Monday that he may retreat from his threat to unilaterally deploy the National Guard to Democratic-run cities, saying he would rather wait until state or local officials ask for federal assistance. The remarks came after days of speculation that Chicago could be the next target of troop deployments following the controversial use of Guard units in Washington, D.C. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson swiftly rejected any prospect of federal troops on city streets. “Mr. President, do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here nor needed here,” Pritzker told reporters at a joint news conference with local leaders. Johnson called the idea of a “military-occupied state” unnecessary, noting that murders, shootings and vehicle thefts are down sharply from a year ago. Their comments followed a Washington Post report that the Pentagon has been drafting contingency plans to send at least several thousand Guard members—and possibly active-duty forces—to Chicago as early as September. Trump last week described the city as “very dangerous” and claimed residents were “screaming for us to come.” Legal experts say a presidential order to federalize Illinois’ Guard without the governor’s consent would face immediate courtroom challenges. Pritzker said the state is reviewing all legal options, while civil-rights groups pledged to contest any deployment they view as an unconstitutional use of military force in domestic law-enforcement. No formal directive has been issued, and the Defense Department declined to comment on potential operations. For now, the decision rests with Trump, who reiterated he has “not made any concrete plans” and would prefer cooperation from Illinois officials before moving forward.