Politics

Weeks after President Donald Trump sent federal troops to police Washington, D.C., the president is following up on his threats to intervene in other cities as well. Comments from Trump, as well as news reports, indicate that Chicago may be the next target for a federal occupation, with other Black-led cities possibly being targeted.

Trump is making plans to send troops to Chicago

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that the Pentagon has spent weeks planning for a potential deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to Chicago to crack down on crime, remove people without homes and detain undocumented immigrants. The federal intervention, similar to a controversial federal takeover of policing in D.C. this month and a deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles earlier this year, could begin as early as September. Trump attacked Chicago’s leadership, telling reporters in comments from the White House, “Chicago’s a mess, you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent.” Trump also claimed that people in the city, including “African American ladies,” have called for him to intervene there; conservative influencer Danielle Carter-Walters has indicated that she believes she is the lady Trump referenced.

President Trump: “Chicago’s a mess, you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent. And, we’ll straighten that one out probably next. That’ll be our next one after [Washington, DC].” pic.twitter.com/ViKcE7RRiQ— CSPAN (@cspan) August 22, 2025

Leaders call a possible Chicago intervention unnecessary and illegal

The possibility of Trump expanding his federal takeover strategy to Chicago has drawn sharp rebukes from city and state leaders. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement in response to Trump’s comments, noting “the City has not received any formal communication from the Trump administration regarding additional federal law enforcement or military deployments to Chicago.” Johnson’s statement also mentioned that crime has decreased in the city. Johnson has also deemed the potential occupation illegal, arguing it “would be the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st Century. The City of Chicago does not need a military occupation,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

What the President is proposing would be the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st Century. The City of Chicago does not need a military occupation. https://t.co/nXi503owI9— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) August 24, 2025

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., also indicated, “The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention.”

Pritzker, Johnson and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul will give additional remarks on the matter on Monday.

The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention.— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) August 24, 2025

Trump targeting other Black-led cities

With Washington already being occupied and Chicago potentially following soon, Trump has indicated that other cities may receive the same treatment. Responding to insults from Trump, Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore issued a challenge to the president to join him and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott for a “public safety walk” in the city, which in turn prompted Trump to threaten to send federal troops to Baltimore as well. Trump has also suggested New York City as a possible target of federal takeover. Observers have noted that Trump appears to target cities with Black mayors, ignoring falling crime statistics in many of the places he’s labeled as dangerous and in need of intervention.

Suppose Trump continues to back his denigrating rhetoric with attempts to send in federal troops to occupy American cities. In that case, this policy is likely to continue to face political and legal pushback. Whether Trump can extend his controversial interventions to other cities, the attempt to do so remains emblematic of his approach to the presidency: heavy-handed, authoritarian and tinged with potential racial bias.

A Texas state representative who has been locked inside the State House has sued the state government over what she has called an illegal detainment. Rep. Nicole Collier’s ordeal is the latest twist in the fight over redistricting that began in Texas and has spread to states like California. Collier’s fight against Republicans has drawn increased attention to Democratic efforts in Texas and the larger political fight ahead of the 2026 elections.

Rep. Collier accuses Texas of illegally detaining her in State House

As Blavity previously reported, Texas Rep. Nicole Collier remained locked in the Texas State House from Monday night after refusing a state trooper escort meant to ensure she returned for a special session called by Republicans to pass a partisan congressional map. Collier filed a writ of habeas corpus on Tuesday, accusing the Republican-led government of illegally detaining her.

After dozens of state Democrats first left Texas in 2021 to delay plans to pass restrictive voting laws, the Republican-controlled government passed legislation allowing for absent lawmakers to be arrested and compelled to attend legislative sessions. However, Collier’s lawyers argue that the law only allows for the arrest of legislators who are absent from a session; it does not allow lawmakers to be prevented from leaving once they are already present. Nor does the law allow legislators to be arrested ahead of time or detained under the assumption that they might not attend in the future, Collier argues in her suit.

Collier was one of dozens of state Democrats who fled Texas in order to prevent a special session of the legislature from redrawing congressional maps to give Republicans five additional seats in the United States Congress. After being fined and threatened with arrest and expulsion, the Democrats returned to Texas, where they have been required to accept being monitored and escorted by state troopers to guarantee their return to the legislature for a new special session set to begin Wednesday.

Collier refused the escort and was not allowed to leave the State House building as a result. On Tuesday afternoon, several other Democrats tore up the “permission slips” they had been forced to sign to accept police escorts and joined Collier in sleeping on the Texas House floor.

Collier appeared on MSNBC from the House floor Tuesday morning, pledging that she and her colleagues were not done fighting.

“They say take that high road,” Collier said. “That high road has crumbled. We’re on a dirt road and we’re gonna meet them and get down and dirty.”

Nicole Collier: “They say take that high road. That high road has crumbled. We’re on a dirt road and we’re gonna meet them and get down and dirty. My fellow Democrats are ready to fight with the grit that is necessary to challenge the oppressor.” pic.twitter.com/nc8YNpUmPO— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) August 19, 2025

Responses from around the country as the fight for 2026 heats up

Collier’s defiance of the Republican-dominated government has drawn significant attention within the state and beyond. Vice President Kamala Harris called Collier to encourage her, telling the state representative that “you really are inspiring so many people, and I just want you to know that you are among those who history will reveal to have been heroes of this moment. So you just stay strong and do what you are doing.” Collier posted part of the conversation on social media.

Collier posted part of the conversation on social media.

The Texas Democrats’ resistance has drawn reaction from other states. Most notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing through an effort to redraw that state’s congressional map in order to add additional Democratic seats to counteract the changes being pushed through in Texas. The California move was partly why Texas Democrats agreed to return to their state.

Other states — including Democratic-controlled New York and Maryland, and Republican-led Missouri and Florida — have also indicated they might enact partisan redistricting in response to the current moves being taken in Texas and/or California.

All this political movement is aimed at influencing the outcome of the crucial 2026 midterm elections, which will determine partisan control of the U.S. Congress and whether or not President Trump will be able to continue advancing much of his agenda. The Trump administration requested the Texas redistricting and has taken additional steps to influence the election, including a possible attempt to restrict mail-in voting, a potential move to redo the U.S. Census, and exclude undocumented immigrants from the count.

All this political maneuvering highlights the stakes of the 2026 election, which both Democrats and Republicans see as pivotal for the direction of the country going forward. With 2026 fast approaching, the partisan competition is poised to continue heating up in Texas and across the nation.

The Trump administration has issued new directives to screen legal immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship. Applicants will now be required to display what seems to be heightened “good moral character,” as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services instructed officers in a memo sent on Friday.

The update expands an existing assessment for ‘good moral character’ to include adherence to societal norms

A “good moral character” assessment, alongside English language and civics tests, was already included as a requirement in the U.S. citizenship application. It was fulfilled by anyone who did not display criminal offenses such as murder, aggravated felonies, or drug offenses, according to CBS News.

The memo issued on Friday expands the “good moral character” assessment to include “more than a cursory mechanical review focused on the absence of wrongdoing.” The screening should now be “a holistic assessment of an alien’s behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character.”

Officers are expected to look for applicants’ community involvement, family ties and caregiving, education, employment and tax status and the length of time spent in the U.S. They will also be looking for “acts that are contrary to the average behavior of citizens in the jurisdiction where aliens reside,” even if lawful. Applicants will need to show they haven’t had actions that are “inconsistent with civic responsibility within the community” via CBS News.

What is prompting this change? 

USCIS chief spokesman Matthew Tragesser told CBS News that the new directives are part of the Trump administration’s effort to “restore integrity” to the U.S. immigration system. 

“U.S. citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship — it should only be offered to the world’s best of the best,” he added. “Today, USCIS is adding a new element to the naturalization process that ensures America’s newest citizens not only embrace America’s culture, history, and language but who also demonstrate Good Moral Character.”

Former senior USCIS official Doug Rand said the change is to deter legal immigrants from applying for U.S. citizenship.

“They’re trying to increase the grounds for denial of U.S. citizenship by kind of torturing the definition of good moral character to encompass extremely harmless behavior,” he told CBS News.

Student and teacher organizations have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration after it detained and deported non-citizens after reportedly expressing pro-Palestinian views. Last week, Stanford University’s student newspaper sued citing it was stifling free speech, while the American Association of University Professors filed a suit against Secretary of State Marco Rubio over alleged “ideological deportation policy,” according to Time.

The news outlet argues that the change in policy may be used to denaturalize U.S. citizens. The law allows it if a naturalized citizen violates their eligibility condition, which includes being of “good moral character.”

Republican leaders in Oklahoma have implemented a conservative curriculum for the state’s public schools that critics condemn as pushing conspiracy theories and GOP talking points. Now, as Oklahoma seeks to fill its shortage of teachers, it intends to issue an ideological test for educators from two of the nation’s most populous states, requiring them to pass a test of conservative beliefs and ideologies to teach in Oklahoma.

New York and California teachers face an ideological test to teach in Oklahoma

Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters discussed the new requirements in an interview with USA Today. Teachers coming from California or New York who want to teach in Oklahoma will be required to pass what Walters calls an “America First” certification. The teachers would be required to demonstrate they understand “the biological differences between females and males” and endorse ideas about fraud in the 2020 election, which President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence. Walters indicated that teachers from other states may eventually be required to pass the certification test. However, Oklahoma is starting with New York and California — the largest Democratic-led states in the country — to weed out educators “who are teaching things that are antithetical to our standards” and to make sure teachers “are not coming into our classrooms and indoctrinating kids.”

Controversial curriculum under GOP-led government

The new “America First” teacher certification material aligns with education standards that have been implemented under Walters and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. The new curriculum includes a conspiracy theory that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted from a lab leak; it also removes material relating to George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. The committee that prepared the controversial curriculum includes Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, generally seen as the architect of Project 2025. The committee also comprises conservative talk show host Dennis Prager, whose PragerU organization has created conservative educational materials that downplay slavery; the organization is helping design Oklahoma’s “America First” teacher certification.

Republican efforts to shape education despite performance and recruitment issues

Oklahoma is one of several Republican-led states, such as Texas and Florida, that in recent years have injected right-wing beliefs into state curricula while removing material relating to race, racism and minority experiences. The moves in Oklahoma come as the Trump administration seeks to dismantle the Department of Education, which would limit federal oversight and federal funding for state-level education. While many conservatives have applauded Oklahoma’s new requirements, critics note that the state ranks near the bottom in educational quality. “Oklahoma has one of the worst educational systems in America. Yet these is the focus,” one person tweeted. “Conservatives have lost the plot.”

Oklahoma has one of the worst educational systems in America. Yet these is the focus. Conservatives have lost the plot https://t.co/khTd0n9U4z— Papi’s Home (@BodyguardD93) August 18, 2025

Despite the challenges that Oklahoma faces in meeting educational standards or recruiting teachers to fill shortages, the Republican-led government seems determined to screen potential educators for their political and social beliefs. The new requirements for teachers may make it harder for the state to fill its educator gap. The standards will also further solidify the conservative ideas that Oklahoma’s political leaders want to teach its students.

While there have been speculations for many years about whether or not Russian President Vladimir Putin can speak English, the Russian leader showed on Friday that he can indeed speak English. Putin expressed parts of his speech in English on Friday as he stood alongside Donald Trump for their summit in Alaska.

What did Putin say in English at the Alaska summit?

Although much of his speech was translated through an interpreter, Putin closed his remarks with a few words in English.

“And next time in Moscow,” Putin concluded his speech as he subtly invited Trump to join him in Russia for their next meeting. He also showed his gratitude to Trump in English, saying, “Thank you so much.” 

Although Putin expressed some of his thoughts in English, he also appeared to be confused a few times. When a reporter asked Putin if he would “stop killing civilians,” the controversial leader gestured to his ear and showed a puzzled look on his face.

The Russian government said Putin understands English ‘very well’

According to CNN, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told world leaders multiple times that Putin understands English very well. When Trump spoke to the Russian leader on the phone in May, Peskov said Putin understood the conversation in English before the translator relayed the information to him.

Per CNN, the Kremlin also said in 2017 that Putin sometimes corrects his interpreters. According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Putin “most often speaks English” when he’s on the go.

“But when negotiations are conducted and when an official meeting is taking place, of course, he communicates through interpreters,” Peskov said.

Peskov also noted that Putin understands the challenge of translating: “I myself have been translating at the highest level for a long time, so I know what kind of stress it is,” he said.