On Tuesday, Jesse Watters from Fox News suspended Mike Nellis, a senior adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris, after he remarked that the National Guard wasn’t necessary for addressing crime in Chicago.

President Donald Trump had mentioned last Friday that he was contemplating deploying the National Guard to Chicago, following its recent use in Washington, D.C. on August 11. This idea was met with increased opposition from Democrats, and during “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Watters questioned Nellis about it. (Related: Observing Chicago residents hesitant to back Democrats’ positive narrative on crime)

Nellis responded, saying, “No, I believe Chicago needs to enhance its approach to crime. Local leaders need to do more. Besides, Chicago has had the chance to vote for Trump three times. Louisiana, often called the US murder capital, hasn’t made a peep about Oklahoma.”

Watters fired back, “They’re dealing with crime too! If the mayor wants to have Trump come in and tackle this, is Chicago really that much bigger than Baton Rouge, Mike? You live there. You care. Did you hear him mention his cousin or uncle? They’re all gone. What’s going on?”

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson held a press conference on Monday urging the president not to visit, claiming that crime statistics were improving.

Data from the Chicago Police Station up to August 16 indicated a 25% drop in murders over the past year, compared to 2023, although the murder rate still exceeds pre-pandemic levels. According to ABC7 Chicago, there were 474 murders reported in the last 12 months, with an average annual rate of 722 homicides from 2021 to 2023.

The White House also issued a press release stating that Chicago has had the highest murder rate among cities with over a million residents in the US for the seventh consecutive year, marking 13 years of leading in total murders.

Nellis countered Watters’ points, expressing, “I don’t feel safe taking my child to a game. It’s concerning to see armed soldiers around. We definitely need more police presence in Chicago for our safety, not to mention the implications of the budget cuts that Trump signed, which slashed $2 billion from community policing funds.”

Watters rebutted, “Well, Mike, you guys have been revamping the police funding. So, let’s not talk about cuts. It’s clear Democrats have restored those funds. But sure, I respect that you want safety in Chicago, and we can both agree the city needs to improve.”

Trump’s decision to invoke Section 40 of the District of Columbia Home Rules Act was in response to numerous crimes in Washington, D.C., including severe assaults on government staff and the tragic shooting of Republican intern Eric Tarpinian-Jacchim on June 30.

Democrats and some media outlets pointed out that crime in D.C. reportedly fell by 35% in 2024, although this data excluded certain offenses like aggravated assault. In July, the Metropolitan Police Department revealed an internal investigation against Commander Michael Puliam for allegedly manipulating crime statistics in his district, according to NBC Washington.

Despite Democratic resistance, a Harvard Cap/Harris poll released Monday showed that 54% of registered voters believed Trump’s measures for crime prevention in the capital were “justified and necessary.” Janine Piro, a lawyer and commentator, mentioned on Monday that a federal initiative in D.C. resulted in 1,007 arrests and the confiscation of 111 illegal firearms.