Topline
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have decried President Donald Trump, who appeared to suggest Saturday his administration would go to “WAR” with Chicago and deploy National Guard troops in the city as part of a broader crime crackdown.
Key Facts
“This is not a joke,” Pritzker wrote on X in response to a Truth Social post by Trump, which reads, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning … Chicago [sic] about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” while featuring an AI-generated image in an apparent parody of the Vietnam War film “Apocalypse Now.”
Johnson responded to Trump’s post, writing on X, “The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution.”
“We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump,” Johnson continued.
Other Democrats criticized Trump over the post, including Newsom, who accused Trump of deploying the military into U.S. cities and “using our troops like political pawns,” and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who called Trump’s post “disgusting.”
Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Jesus Garcia, D-Ill., called Trump’s post an “act of a tyrant” and “despicable,” respectively.
Crucial Quote
“Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man,” Pritzker said, adding, “Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”
This is a developing story.