FROM FOX NEWS: Democrats are criticizing President Donald Trump for a social media post that appeared to threaten Chicago with deportations and the U.S. military.
Trump posted on Truth Social an AI image of himself styled as Robert Duvall’s character in “Apocalypse Now,” a Vietnam War epic about a decorated U.S. officer who has gone rogue deep in the Cambodian jungle. The words “Chipocalypse Now” were also seen on the image.
“‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning…'” Trump wrote in the post on Saturday morning, a play on a famous quote from the 1979 film.
“Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” he added, referring to his recent executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War
Democrats took extreme offense.
Potential presidential contender California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused Trump of “using our troops like political pawns.”
“The President of the United States is deploying the military onto US streets and using our troops like political pawns,” Newsom wrote on X. “DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOME NUMB TO THIS.”
Governor Gavin Newsom: “The President of the United States is deploying the military onto US streets and using our troops like political pawns. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOME NUMB TO THIS.”
RETWEET if you stand with @GavinNewsom! pic.twitter.com/uHEJ5KNfAY
— Protect Kamala Harris ✊ (@DisavowTrump20) September 6, 2025
The two senators from Illinois were horrified.
“No Donald, Chicago is not your war zone,” Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran and retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, wrote on X.
No Donald, Chicago is not your war zone pic.twitter.com/ok0mpvGSug
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) September 7, 2025
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin attacked Trump’s record, saying he should work on items like tariffs and jobs instead of “asking ChatGPT to make him memes and threatening to turn our brave armed forces against American cities.”
Durbin continued his attack during remarks before a parade in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood,
“This tweet this morning was disgusting to suggest that the troops are coming into Chicago or that the Department of War is going to be engaged is an embarrassment,” Durban said, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Instead of asking ChatGPT to make him memes and threatening to turn our brave armed forces against American cities, the President should be focused on:
-his weak jobs reports
-record measles cases
-tariffs hurting American farmers and businesses
-hidden Epstein filesThe list… pic.twitter.com/rElsRIcB73
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) September 7, 2025
Illinois Gov. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was equally irate.
“The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city,” Pritzker wrote on X on Saturday. “This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”
The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city.
This is not a joke. This is not normal.
Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator. pic.twitter.com/f87Zek7Cqb
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) September 6, 2025
And Illinois Mayor Brandon Johnson raged, “The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution.
“We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump.”
The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution.
We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/B7AH1ufByH
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) September 6, 2025
READ MORE FOX NEWS
