WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson should be jailed for opposing his deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, escalating his pattern of threatening prosecution against political opponents who challenge his authority.
Trump’s demand that the two Democratic officials face imprisonment came as Texas National Guard troops positioned themselves outside Chicago despite a lawsuit by the state and city attempting to block their deployment. The troops’ specific mission remains unclear, though the Trump administration has undertaken aggressive immigration enforcement operations in the nation’s third-largest city.
“Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Governor Pritzker also!” The post represented the latest example of Trump’s increasingly brazen calls for opponents to be prosecuted or incarcerated.
The president, contrary to crime statistics, has repeatedly claimed that major cities run by Democrats are overwhelmed with lawlessness. His comments came the same day former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty in a criminal case highlighting the Justice Department’s efforts to target Trump adversaries.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson, reached for comment, said that “JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson have blood on their hands” and accused them of standing “idly by while innocent Americans fall victim to violent crime time and time again.”
Jackson argued that “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.” The statement did not address questions about what specific crimes Trump believes the officials committed or whether the White House planned to have federal agents arrest them.
During a White House event Wednesday afternoon, Trump doubled down when asked if he had called on the Justice Department to pursue charges against Pritzker and Johnson. “I’ve seen the law. And when you have a group of people where the police call off the safety for ICE officials, I’ve understood that, and I’ve read it today in numerous journals, that that’s illegal,” Trump claimed.
The Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump’s allegations.
Pritzker responded defiantly to Trump’s Truth Social post, writing on X that “I will not back down.” He characterized Trump’s threat as part of a descent toward authoritarianism. “Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power,” Pritzker wrote. “What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”
The Illinois governor later told reporters that Trump is “a coward” who “likes to pretend to be a tough guy.” Pritzker issued a direct challenge to the president, stating “Come and get me.”
Johnson responded by noting the racial dimension of Trump’s threat. “This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested,” the Chicago mayor said, adding “I’m not going anywhere.”
Illinois filed suit Monday attempting to prevent the White House from deploying federalized troops to Chicago. A judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday but declined to sign a temporary restraining order that would have blocked the deployment while the case proceeds through court.
Trump’s threats against Johnson and Pritzker emerged as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have spread across the country amid the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to detain and deport migrants.
The White House has argued that deploying the National Guard is necessary to “protect federal assets and personnel” and prevent “attacks on law enforcement.” Trump initially deployed National Guard forces to Los Angeles over California Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections after protests erupted following immigration raids.
The president subsequently ordered National Guard troops to Washington streets, characterizing the deployment as crime-fighting measures. The administration has also attempted to send federalized National Guard troops from California to Portland, Oregon, though a judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking that deployment.
A Pentagon spokesperson indicated Portland troops would have worked to “support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal personnel performing official duties, including the enforcement of federal law, and to protect federal property.”
Johnson signed an executive order Monday blocking immigration agents from using city property during Chicago operations. “We will not tolerate ICE agents violating our residents’ constitutional rights nor will we allow the federal government to disregard our local authority,” Johnson stated in announcing the ICE Free Zone executive order.
Pritzker has emerged as a prominent Trump administration critic as Illinois faces presidential scrutiny. Trump has characterized Chicago as a “war zone,” claims Pritzker disputed Sunday during a CNN “State of the Union” interview, saying “they’re just making this up.”
“Then what do they do? They fire tear gas and smoke grenades, and they make it look like it’s a war zone,” Pritzker said, apparently referencing federal agents. “And they, you know, get people on the ground are, frankly, incited to want to do something about it, appropriately.”
Pritzker recently suggested Trump should be removed from office through the 25th Amendment process. “There is something genuinely wrong with this man, and the 25th Amendment ought to be invoked,” he said.
During a Tuesday event, Pritzker joked about potential arrest when asked about the possibility. “I’m asking any of you to come visit me in the gulag in El Salvador,” he said, referencing the prison where the Trump administration has deported some immigrants.
House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to endorse Trump’s call for imprisoning the Illinois officials when questioned by NBC News. “Should they be in prison? Should the mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois be in prison?” Johnson responded. “I’m not the attorney general. I’m the speaker of the House, and I’m trying to manage the chaos here. I’m not following the day-to-day on that.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened legal action against political opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Last month, he urged Attorney General Pam Bondi not to “delay any longer,” demanding “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
Comey was indicted days later and pleaded not guilty at his Wednesday arraignment, illustrating the Justice Department’s willingness to pursue cases against Trump adversaries despite questions about prosecutorial independence.
