The National Guard Is Not His Private Army
The National Guard is not Trump’s private army—and Chicago won’t be his testing ground.
Federalizing the D.C. police wasn’t enough for the man currently living in the White House. Now the racist convicted felon has set his sights on Chicago and other blue cities in blue states. His threats are not welcome here.
This is not about safety. It’s about control. The racist convicted felon wants to turn the National Guard—alongside ICE—into his personal police force, the hallmark of authoritarian regimes. But let’s be clear: the Constitution does not grant a president unlimited power to send troops into states against the will of their governors. Federalism matters. States have the right to manage their own Guard units unless lawfully federalized during true national emergencies. His threats shred that principle.
He’s already giving Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan a run for their money as the worst man to occupy the Oval Office—or its pre-D.C. predecessors before the White House even existed. History will not forgive him, nor should it.
Listen, I’m not the biggest fan of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and I look forward to voting him out of office. But in this moment, Chicagoans must unite against fascism. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker made it clear in his statement:
The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention.
The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority. There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders.
Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.
We will continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect the people of Illinois.
Anyone who welcomes this nonsense can move to a country where fascism is already the rule of law. The same goes for Americans cheering on this five-alarm fire. A president who threatens retribution against his enemies is not defending democracy—he’s torching it. If you’re applauding, you’re not in a movement. You’re in a cult. And cults need intervention.