President Donald Trump on Monday tore into Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for rejecting federal assistance following another bloody weekend in Chicago that left at least seven people dead and over a dozen wounded.
“Governor Pritzker just stated that he doesn’t want Federal Government HELP! WHY???” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “What is wrong with this guy, and the 5% in Polls Mayor. I want to help the people of Chicago, not hurt them. Only the Criminals will be hurt! We can move fast and stop this madness.”
Trump slammed both Democratic leaders for failing to secure their communities and urged citizens to demand protection. “The City and State have not been able to do the job,” he said. “People of Illinois should band together and DEMAND PROTECTION. IT IS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE!!! ACT NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!”
The weekend violence in Chicago added to a grim trend. According to police, victims ranged in age from 15 to 57 and were struck in more than a dozen separate shootings from Friday through Sunday. Just last weekend, eight people were killed and over 50 wounded during the Labor Day holiday stretch.
Trump has repeatedly promised to deploy the National Guard into major cities plagued by violence. He recently sent federal agents and Guard troops into Washington, D.C., and has vowed that Chicago will be next if local officials continue to refuse action.
On Saturday, Trump posted a meme showing an AI-generated image of military helicopters over a burning Chicago skyline. The caption read, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War.”
Trump border czar Tom Homan reinforced that message on Sunday, telling ABC 7 Chicago that sanctuary cities like Chicago should expect a surge in immigration enforcement — and that using National Guard troops “is on the table.”
The post sparked outrage among Democrats. Governor Pritzker claimed the meme was a direct threat to an American city, calling Trump a “scared man” and vowing that Illinois “won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”
The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city.
This is not a joke. This is not normal.
Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator. pic.twitter.com/f87Zek7Cqb
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) September 6, 2025
Mayor Johnson echoed that tone, accusing Trump of authoritarianism. “The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation,” Johnson said. “He wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution. We must defend our democracy from this.”
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. pic.twitter.com/B7AH1ufByH
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) September 6, 2025
Despite the pushback, Trump remained resolute. “We’re going in. I didn’t say when we’re going in,” he said last week. “This isn’t a political thing. I have an obligation.”
While legal challenges are likely, Trump has dismissed them as political noise. A federal judge in California ruled last week that his previous National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was unlawful, and lawsuits have been filed over his past actions in Washington, D.C. But the president insists he has the authority to protect Americans in crime-ridden cities where local leaders refuse to act.
The post Trump Rips Dems For Refusing Federal Help After More Deadly Shootings In Chicago appeared first on Real News Now.
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