Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have openly challenged U.S. President Donald Trump following the deployment of military troops to Illinois.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Monday, lashed out at the two leaders, declaring, “Chicago’s mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE officers! Governor Pritzker also!”
The Texas National Guard entered Illinois on Tuesday after weeks of threats from the president to use the military to curb rising crime and ongoing immigration protests in Chicago.
Governor Pritzker, responding firmly, said he would not yield to intimidation.
“Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected officials who dare to check his power,” he wrote on X. “What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”
Mayor Brandon Johnson also pushed back strongly, stating, “This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested. I’m not going anywhere.”
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Pritzker intensified his criticism of the president, describing him as “a convicted felon who is threatening to jail me.”
“This guy is unhinged, insecure, and a wannabe dictator,” he said.
In a bold declaration, Pritzker added, “There’s one thing I want to say to Donald Trump: if you come for my people, you’ll have to come through me. So come and get me.”
