In a potentially massively important post on his Truth Social social media platform, President Donald Trump called for the arrest of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. (D) and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D), arguing that their failure to protect ICE officers from mobs of Antifa-style attackers who have attempted to prevent them from doing their duty.
As background, the situation in Chicago particularly and Illinois generally has been heating up as ICE attempts to crack down on their sanctuary policies, with that most recently leading to the horrific spectacle of a violent mob in Chicago surrounding and attacking ICE officers in their vehicle as Chicago police were told to stand down and not aid ICE.
That has since led to a large response from the Trump Administration, with the Department of Homeland Security pouring special operations units into Chicago to defend ICE as hundreds of National Guard troopers from Texas were deployed into Illinois to help ICE complete its mission.
Then, during the morning on Wednesday, October 8, President Trump decided to post on Truth Social that the leaders of Chicago and Illinois should be tossed in jail for what they have done, saying, “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!”
Governor Pritzker, for his part, responded by saying that President Trump won’t be able to intimidate him into backing down, saying, “I will not back down. Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism? We must all stand up and speak out.”
Similarly, Mayor Brandon Johnson took to X to declare that President Trump was being racist in calling for his arrest, and to say that he also won’t be backing down or fleeing in terror from Trump’s threats. He said, “This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested. I’m not going anywhere.”
Firing back at the both of them in a statement to Fox News Digital, White House press secretary Abigail Jackson snapped that the sanctuary city officials are responsible for the attacks that have been seen against ICE agents in their jurisdictions, saying, “JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson have blood on their hands.”
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Adding to that, Jackson noted that Chicago is a crime-ridden hellhole that should be begging for Trump’s help in dealing with its woes, saying, “These failed leaders have stood idly by while innocent Americans fall victim to violent crime time and time again. Last weekend alone, 30 people were shot and five of them died.”
Noting that their derangement and ideology prevent them from doing so and making their cities safe for their citizens again, as has fortunately happened in DC with the federal crackdown on crime in that once-disastrously crime-ridden city, Jackson then said, “But instead of taking action to stop the crime, these Trump-Deranged buffoons would rather allow the violence to continue and attack the President for wanting to help make their city safe again.”
Watch Brandon Johnson comment on encouraging his city’s residents to “battle” the Trump Administration’s efforts here: