US President Donald Trump on Saturday renewed threats to deploy the national guard to Chicago, sharing an image on Truth Social that depicted the city under attack.
“I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to why out why it’s called the Department of WAR ,” Trump wrote.
The AI-generated image showed Trump wearing a black cavalry hat, aviator sunglasses, and dark clothing, standing in front of Lake Michigan with the Chicago skyline behind him. Smoke and fire spread across the background with five helicopters hovering overhead. The words “Chipocalypse Now” appeared in lettering styled after the 1979 film Apocalypse Now.
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, a move meant to honour the US military.
Also read: 'Woke': Trump renames Pentagon as ‘Department of War’; GOP hails move as tribute to US military
Shortly after Trump's post, Illinois Gov JB Pritzker strongly condemned the message in a post on X, writing, “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.”
Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have repeatedly pushed back against Trump’s efforts. “We’re going to immediately go to court, if National Guard or other military troops are sent to, deployed to the city of Chicago, immediately go to court,” Pritzker said Thursday.
For weeks, the Trump administration has indicated that Chicago is next in its mass deportation efforts, but officials have offered few details on when the operations might start or which law enforcement agencies would be involved.
The threat comes as Chicago hosts Mexican Independence Day celebrations, with parades and cultural events across the city. Some feared the timing could coincide with a possible military deployment.
Earlier this year, protests broke out in downtown Los Angeles after the Trump administration deployed ICE to neighborhoods with large Hispanic and Latino populations.
“I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to why out why it’s called the Department of WAR ,” Trump wrote.
The AI-generated image showed Trump wearing a black cavalry hat, aviator sunglasses, and dark clothing, standing in front of Lake Michigan with the Chicago skyline behind him. Smoke and fire spread across the background with five helicopters hovering overhead. The words “Chipocalypse Now” appeared in lettering styled after the 1979 film Apocalypse Now.
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, a move meant to honour the US military.
Also read: 'Woke': Trump renames Pentagon as ‘Department of War’; GOP hails move as tribute to US military
Shortly after Trump's post, Illinois Gov JB Pritzker strongly condemned the message in a post on X, writing, “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.
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) September 6, 2025
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
Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have repeatedly pushed back against Trump’s efforts. “We’re going to immediately go to court, if National Guard or other military troops are sent to, deployed to the city of Chicago, immediately go to court,” Pritzker said Thursday.
For weeks, the Trump administration has indicated that Chicago is next in its mass deportation efforts, but officials have offered few details on when the operations might start or which law enforcement agencies would be involved.
The threat comes as Chicago hosts Mexican Independence Day celebrations, with parades and cultural events across the city. Some feared the timing could coincide with a possible military deployment.
Earlier this year, protests broke out in downtown Los Angeles after the Trump administration deployed ICE to neighborhoods with large Hispanic and Latino populations.
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