On Sunday, Senator Tammy Duckworth, a prominent Democrat from Illinois, expressed her concerns over President Donald Trump's recent comments regarding Chicago, suggesting that the President has effectively declared war on the city. During her appearance on CBS's Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Duckworth emphasized that there are currently no indications that the Trump administration is preparing to deploy troops to the nation’s third-largest city, despite mounting rhetoric suggesting such intentions.
Duckworth described Trump’s comments as "not normal" and "unacceptable behavior." Her reaction comes in light of a post Trump made on Truth Social on Saturday, which featured a screenshot proclaiming, "Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR," along with an AI-generated image reminiscent of the film Apocalypse Now.
Further complicating matters, on Friday, Trump signed an executive order aimed at renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War. While this name change would require congressional approval, it signals a shift in the administration's stance on military involvement in domestic issues. Trump reiterated on Sunday that "we're not going to war," but instead, he stated, "We're going to clean up our cities so they don't kill five people every weekend." He characterized his plans as common sense rather than an act of war.
This recent rhetoric is part of a broader series of threats made by Trump regarding the potential deployment of federal troops to Chicago, as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime. This follows his controversial decision to send the National Guard to Los Angeles in June, which faced legal challenges from California Governor Gavin Newsom. A judge ruled last week that Trump's deployment in California violated federal law, although this ruling does not appear to extend to other states.
Despite the heated rhetoric from Trump, Vice President JD Vance recently stated that there are no immediate plans to send National Guard forces to Chicago. This statement came just a day after Trump suggested that federal forces would be sent to the city, asserting, "we're going in."
Senator Duckworth underscored the importance of taking presidential statements seriously. She remarked, "I take what the President of the United States says very seriously, because that is the respect you have to give to the office." Duckworth clarified that if Trump is indeed declaring war on Chicago, it would constitute an illegal order for the President to issue against any U.S. city.
During a visit to Naval Station Great Lakes on Saturday, Duckworth was part of a group of Illinois leaders addressing concerns about federal immigration enforcement agents potentially being based there. She revealed that military leadership confirmed the only request made to assist the federal government was for office space for ICE. Duckworth stated, "No barracks, no detention facilities, none of that is being requested or prepared in order to support troops into Chicago."
Duckworth expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the Trump administration regarding their plans for addressing crime in Chicago. She noted, "If they were truly interested in fighting crime, then they would work with local law enforcement and ask them, 'What do you need? What help do you need?'" However, she indicated that no inquiries or feedback from the administration had been received.
These developments follow Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. last month as part of an anti-crime initiative, with intentions to intervene in cities like Chicago and Baltimore next. Local leaders in Chicago have voiced strong opposition to the federal government's threats of intervention, expressing concerns that such actions could lead to legal challenges.
