President Donald Trump engaged in a heated exchange with reporters outside the White House on Sunday following backlash over a meme he posted on Truth Social that sparked criticism from Illinois officials. The exchange came as the President fielded questions before departing for the U.S. Open.
On Saturday, Trump shared an image depicting himself as Lieutenant Colonel William Kilgore, Robert Duvall’s character from the film Apocalypse Now.
The meme was captioned: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War… Chipocalypse now.”
The post drew sharp responses from Democrats who accused him of threatening to “go to war” with the city of Chicago.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wrote on X, “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.”
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
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also criticized the President, posting, “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.”
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
When asked about the meme by NBC News White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, Trump rejected the interpretation.
Alcindor posed the question of whether he intended to “go to war with Chicago.”
Trump interrupted, responding, “When you say that, darling, that’s fake news.”
When Alcindor attempted to reply, Trump continued, “Be quiet, listen! You don’t listen! You never listen. That’s why you’re second-rate. We’re not going to war. We’re gonna clean up our cities. We’re gonna clean them up, so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war, that’s common sense.”
.@POTUS BODIES @Yamiche for asking if we’re “going to war with Chicago”:
“You never listen. That’s why you’re second-rate. We’re not going to war. We’re going to clean up our cities… so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war. That’s common sense.” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SJluB8lbyX
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 7, 2025
Trump has openly considered deploying National Guard troops to address crime in Chicago, though such a move would require cooperation from state officials.
Without state authorization, National Guard troops are generally limited to protecting federal property.
Governor Pritzker has signaled opposition to federal intervention in Chicago’s policing matters.
According to data from the Chicago Police Department compiled by Wirepoints, the city recorded 573 homicides in 2024, marking the 13th consecutive year Chicago led the nation in total murders.
The Council on Criminal Justice reported that aggravated assaults in 2024 declined 4% compared to 2023 but remained 4% higher than in 2019.
The same report showed gun assaults decreased by 15% year-over-year but were still 5% above 2019 levels, while carjackings dropped 32% but stayed 25% higher than 2019 figures.
Shortly after his exchange with Alcindor, Trump clashed with ABC News senior White House correspondent Selina Wang, who questioned why Chicago should be a priority when other U.S. cities have higher crime rates.
Trump countered with recent statistics.
“Excuse me, do you know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. Do you know many people who were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven. Do you how many were wounded? Seventy-four people were wounded. You think there’s worse than that? I don’t think so,” Trump said.
.@POTUS goes off on the Fake News for downplaying crime in Chicago: “You know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. You know how many people were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven… 74 people were wounded. You think there’s worse than that?” pic.twitter.com/xNLcKWncs4
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 7, 2025
Over Labor Day weekend, eight people were killed and 50 others were wounded in 38 separate shootings across Chicago, according to police data.
The figures underscored Trump’s argument that Chicago’s violent crime rates justify possible federal action.
The President’s comments and the ongoing disputes with state and city officials have highlighted the continuing debate over how to address persistent violent crime in Chicago, and whether federal involvement will be pursued in the weeks ahead.
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