Gov. Pritzker Deploys Illinois National Guard To Springfield, DC

ILLINOIS — Gov. J.B. Pritzker will send 250 members of the Illinois National Guard to the State Capitol in response to warnings of armed protests planned across the country this weekend. Another 100 Illinois guardsmen and women are headed to Washington, D.C., to defend Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20, joining about 200 Illinois National Guard troops already there and more than 20,000 others from all across the country.

Officials said the National Guard will not interfere with peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights, but will aid local authorities in enforcing street closures and maintaining designated perimeters.

"Our state public safety agencies, including the Illinois State Police (ISP), Secretary of State Police and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) are working in tandem with local and federal counterparts to protect the residents of Illinois while safeguarding the right to peaceful protest," the governor's office said in a news release Friday morning.

Illinois National Guard Commander Maj. Gen. Rich Neely praised the troops in a statement on Friday.

“Our Soldiers and Airmen come from every community across Illinois and each has sworn to protect their communities, their state and their nation,” he said. “We draw our strength from our communities and are proud to serve in our communities.”

A pro-Trump mob assaulted the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in an effort to keep Donald Trump in the White House, and officials began sounding the alarm earlier this week that more violence was being planned.

Gov. Pritzker said at a news conference Friday afternoon that he does not know of any specific threats to the state, but that internet chatter points to a general threat, and Illinois would be prepared. He also said he would be skipping President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration to make sure all hands are on deck back at home.

"We've got real challenges, crises here in Illinois," the governor said.

On Wednesday, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. The latest charge: incitement to insurrection for falsely claiming he won the election, calling his supporters to Washington, and directing them toward the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent lawmakers from certifying Biden's victory.

“Following the violent siege at our nation’s capitol and reports from federal law enforcement on threats to state capitals, I am bringing all resources to bear to protect our residents and our democratic process,” Gov. Pritzker said Friday. “Our exemplary members of the Illinois National Guard will be working closely with our State Police as well as local and federal authorities to keep our capital city safe. We will continue to be fully transparent with the public on any new information and the steps we are taking to respond.”

On the evening of Jan. 6, Pritzker called on Trump to be removed from office before he could incite more violence, saying he didn't make that statement likely.

"I say this after careful thought and reflection on my responsibilities as an American and as Governor of Illinois," Pritzker said. "We are in the middle of a deadly pandemic that continues to need the full time and attention of our state resources. We are working to oversee a massive vaccination effort that will require the full focus of our state agencies and first responders.

"Because of today's events incited by the President, I had to ask the Illinois State Police and other law enforcement resources, engaged in important life-saving missions, to redeploy to heighten their presence at government buildings and the Capitol in Springfield."

The governor accused Trump of praising the attackers and said there are real questions about whether he obstructed efforts to end the siege.

Last week, as rioters ran amok in the halls of Congress and elected officials hid in barricaded offices, Trump watched the violence unfold on television — seeming to enjoying the spectacle, according to the Washington Post, refusing to send in the National Guard and waiting hours before begrudgingly asking his supporters to go home in a now-deleted tweet that seemed to glorify the insurrection.

"These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots," he tweeted to his supporters, who had just bludgeoned a police officer to death, telling them to "Remember this day forever!"

Pritzker said there was no doubt in his mind that Trump's efforts to encourage a coup represented high treason and said "Donald Trump's efforts to unleash the forces of hate and divide our nation ... must end."