President Donald Trump provoked fury from city and state officials on Saturday with his newly-renamed “Department of War,” an event that follows weeks of preparation for a potential deployment of National Guard troops to the city.
“‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning…’ Chicago is about to discover why it’s called the Department of War,” he posted, accompanied by what appeared to be an AI-generated image of himself as Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore from the 1979 Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now. The phrase “Chicopolyse Now” was prominently displayed on the image, referencing Apocalypse Now, with a background depicting a burning city and departing helicopters.
The post incited strong reactions from state and city leaders. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker referred to Trump as a “wannabe dictator” and interpreted the message as a direct threat to “go to war” with Chicago.
“The President of the United States is threatening to wage war against an American city,” Pritzker declared. “This is not a jest. This is not ordinary.”
“Donald Trump is not a strongman; he is a frightened man. Illinois will not be cowed by a would-be dictator,” he further stated.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson accused Trump of “authoritarianism.”
“The President’s threats are beneath our nation’s honor, but the truth is that he aims to occupy our city and undermine our Constitution,” Johnson remarked.
This post follows Trump’s announcement on Friday, which rebranded the Department of Defense as the Department of War, a move the president asserted would send “a message of strength.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated during Friday’s press conference that the name signifies the department’s shift to “go on offense, not merely on defense. Maximum lethality, rather than cautious legality. Violent effect, not political correctness.”
Trump’s threats towards Chicago come after his decision to federalize D.C.’s police department and deploy National Guard troops on the streets on August 11, citing violent crime—even though data indicated that violent crime in the nation’s capital had already been declining. Since then, the President has threatened similar deployments in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and Oakland.
Johnson and Pritzker have both consistently opposed Trump’s directives. Last weekend, Johnson issued an executive order instructing the city’s police force not to cooperate with federal agents in any potential crackdown on crime and immigration.
“We will protect our constitution. We will protect our city. And we will protect our people. We do not want to see tanks in our streets. We do not want to see families torn apart,” Johnson stated as he announced his executive order.
Pritzker has affirmed that he will “absolutely” sue Trump and the federal government if troops are actually deployed, adding to the multiple lawsuits Chicago has already filed against the President since his return to office in January.
