Donald Trump and controversies seem to go hand in hand. And his latest clash has put him against Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
On Monday, Trump hinted at deploying federal forces to Chicago. That was enough to instantly set off alarms among state and city leaders. Pritzker, standing alongside Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other officials, made it clear he wants no part of Trump’s plan. “If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is, a dangerous power grab,” he said.
This is not about fighting crime. This is about Donald Trump trying to intimidate Americans and his political rivals into submission. It will not work, and we won’t back down. pic.twitter.com/Q4lmPIv5mM
— JB Pritzker (@JBPritzker) August 27, 2025
Reports from the Washington Post revealed that the White House’s plan would be similar to what happened in Los Angeles earlier this summer, when National Guard troops were sent to tamp down immigration protests. Trump insisted on the idea after he signed an executive order. It directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to form new Guard units specifically trained for “public order issues.” To critics, it looked like another step toward militarizing U.S. cities.
Pritzker said neither his office nor the mayor’s had been contacted before news of the deployment broke. “If this was really about fighting crime and making the streets safe, what possible justification could the White House have for planning such an exceptional action without any conversations or consultations with the governor, the mayor, or the police?” he asked.
BREAKING: In a stunning moment, Illinois Gov JB Pritzker blasts Trump “and his complicit lackey, Stephen Miller, searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities, and end elections.”
This is the energy Dems need!pic.twitter.com/ljav7mKSEJ
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) August 25, 2025
Trump is someone who would never skip a personal jab. He simply brushed off the criticism during the order signing and mentioned, “some slob like Pritzker criticizing us before we even go there.”
That only fueled the governor’s response. “Earlier today in the Oval Office, Donald Trump looked at the assembled cameras and asked for me personally to say, Mr. President, can you do us the honor of protecting our city? Instead? I say, Mr. President, do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here nor needed here,” Pritzker stood firm at his point.
For now, the standoff adds one more chapter to Trump’s never-ending saga of clashes with Democratic leaders, and of course to Chicago’s long history of pushing back against federal interference.
