Trump Says Illinois Governor and Chicago Mayor ‘Should Be Jailed’ — The Real Story Behind the Remark
- Cloud 9 News
- Oct 8
- 3 min read
Washington, D.C. — October 8, 2025 - President Donald Trump demanded Wednesday that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson be imprisoned for "failing to protect" federal immigration agents, escalating his rhetoric as the two Democrats challenge his deployment of National Guard troops to the city amid a crackdown on undocumented immigrants and urban crime.
In an early morning Truth Social post, Trump wrote: "The Radical Left Governor of Illinois and the Incompetent Mayor of Chicago should be in JAIL for failing to protect our brave ICE Officers from the violent mobs they allow to run wild! Deploy the Guard NOW—make Chicago safe again!" The outburst, viewed over 5 million times within hours, came hours after Pritzker and Johnson publicly condemned the troop movement as an "illegal invasion" of state sovereignty.
The president's comments mark a sharp intensification of his feud with Illinois Democrats, whom he has repeatedly branded "enemies from within" for resisting his immigration agenda. Trump authorized the deployment of 400 National Guard troops—sourced from Texas and other Republican-led states—last week under Title 10 authority, citing "insurrection-level threats" from protests obstructing ICE operations in Chicago.
The move overrides Pritzker's refusal to activate the Illinois Guard, prompting lawsuits from the state and city alleging violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
The deployment follows a series of high-profile ICE raids in Chicago, including Tuesday's operation in Brighton Park where Border Patrol agents shot and injured an armed protester, Maria Gonzalez, 32, during a confrontation that injured 12 others and led to 22 arrests.DHS data shows over 500 detentions in the Chicago area since September, part of the administration's push toward 2 million annual deportations under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed in August.
Pritzker, a billionaire Democrat and potential 2028 presidential contender, fired back at Trump's post during a Springfield news conference: "This is full-blown authoritarianism—the president threatening to jail elected officials who stand up for our communities." Johnson, Chicago's first Black mayor elected in 2023 on a progressive platform, echoed the sentiment on X, stating, "Trump's threats won't silence us. We're protecting families, not enabling chaos—jail him for abusing power." The mayor has ordered city police to monitor but not assist federal troops, adhering to Chicago's sanctuary city status since 1985.
Legal experts predict the suits could reach the Supreme Court, citing precedents from 2020 Portland deployments where federal overreach was curtailed after lawsuits.The ACLU filed an amicus brief Tuesday, warning of "First Amendment chilling effects" from militarized responses to protests.
Trump's jail call aligns with his pattern of targeting opponents, from suggesting Gen. Mark Milley face treason charges to vowing prosecutions for 2020 election challengers. Polls show 52% approval for his immigration enforcement but only 38% support for Guard use in cities, per a Monday Emerson survey.Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the president, calling Pritzker and Johnson "obstructionists endangering lives," while Democrats decried it as "dictatorial."
As troops arrive in Chicago's South Side Tuesday—establishing perimeters around federal buildings—the city braces for unrest. With the government shutdown in its ninth day complicating logistics, Trump's words risk inflaming tensions in a metropolis of 2.7 million where 21% of residents are foreign-born. For Pritzker and Johnson, the fight is personal and political: Defiance could rally their base ahead of midterms, but at the cost of federal wrath.
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