The White House and Illinois Democratic leaders traded fire Wednesday after President Trump dropped a blistering video aimed at Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor J.B. Pritzker. Trump painted Chicago as “a mess,” slammed Johnson as “grossly incompetent,” and accused Pritzker of refusing to face the city’s turmoil.
In the video, Trump railed against lax immigration policies: “This open borders nightmare flooded our country with fentanyl and with people that shouldn’t be here, some of the worst people on earth.” He warned that rising crime and drug influxes pose the “largest law enforcement challenge” America has ever seen.
The message was echoed by Pastor Corey Brooks, who appeared on Fox & Friends and urged federal intervention in Chicago. “We’ve had 254 deaths in 233 days,” he said, calling assurances of safety “an outright lie.”
Trump amplified those warnings, pleading, “They need help, badly” and grimly adding, “We don’t want to lose Chicago.” He vowed the violence “won’t destroy our society anymore.” Later, on Truth Social, he upped the pressure—demanding, “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE Officers! Governor Pritzker also!”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, perhaps sensing that leaders in her state could be targeted next, called Trump’s comments a “blatant abuse of power.”
Pritzker responded swiftly, accusing Trump of authoritarian rhetoric. On social media, he asked, “What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?” He vowed not to “back down” in the face of Trump’s attacks.
Their clash centers on immigration and federal power. Trump has dispatched National Guard troops—200 from Texas and 300 from Illinois—to Chicago to protect ICE agents and federal property, spurring legal battles and protests.
Pritzker escalated the rhetoric, questioning Trump’s mental fitness and accusing him of being stuck on “something … he can’t get out of his head.” He charged, “He doesn’t read. He doesn’t know anything that’s up to date.”
As both sides dig in, the standoff is more than a political war of words — it’s a showdown over who controls the narrative on immigration, crime, and federal authority in one of America’s most troubled cities. Residents of Chicago, caught in the middle, may be watching closely as power and policy collide.
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