Hi there, everyone.

It's four Clark in New York.

Happy Monday.

Today is a day when the battle for democracy has perhaps never been clearer.

The courts for now, still holding up the rule of law and ruling in favor of cities and states

opposing Donald Trump's efforts to militarize our cities and to use troops against what

Trump describes as, quote, the enemy within. Today, the state of Illinois is suing the Trump

administration to stop the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. Trump has ordered 400 troops to be mobilized from Texas

and then to be sent to Chicago and Portland, Oregon.

And that is despite a court order preventing any deployment to the latter.

As for Chicago, Governor J.B. Pritzker has long opposed the deployment of troops to his city, saying there is no need for them.

Here's what he said in a press conference in the last hour.

I spent the days and weeks following that out and about in our communities, in Bronzeville, in Austin, in Little Village, Berwyn, South Shore, and others.

Walking and talking and listening to real Chicagoans and local business owners,

something Donald Trump, Greg Bovino, Tom Homan, and Christy Noem have never bothered to do.

No insurrections, no invasions.

The folks in the neighborhoods do not want armed troops marching in their streets. When it comes to public safety, they want civilian law enforcement

when they need them, and jobs and after school programs for kids in the neighborhoods. They do not want

Donald Trump to occupy their communities. Trump and the thuggery that his agents have brought

has actively made us less safe. Dramatic scenes unfolded in the city of Chicago over the last 48 hours.

One woman was shot by federal agents that sparked further protests and clashes.

Agents were also seen throwing tear gas at people on a busy street.

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