Duckworth pushes back on Trump, saying Chicago naval base plan involves ICE, not Guard
Trump says sending help to Chicago is ?common sense,? not ?war?
A little more than 24 hours after President Donald Trump posted an ominous meme aimed at the city of Chicago on his social media platform, he appears to be softening his tone.
CHICAGO - A little more than 24 hours after President Donald Trump posted an ominous meme aimed at the city of Chicago on his social media platform, he appears to be softening his tone.
The backstory:
On Saturday, Trump shared an image from the film Apocalypse Now to his Truth Social account with a caption reading: ""I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War… Chipocalypse now." The post referenced his recent announcement that he had unilaterally changed the name of the Department of Defense.
What we know:
On Sunday, the president briefly addressed reporters outside the White House before boarding Marine One to travel to New York for the U.S. Open men’s singles final.
When NBC News White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor asked Trump whether he was trying to "go to war with Chicago," Trump gave a fiery response.
"When you say that, darling, that’s fake news," Trump said.
Trump shuts down reporter over 'war with Chicago' question: 'You never listen'
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One on September 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C. President Trump is traveling to New York to attend the U.S. Open Men?s Singles Final.
Alcindor attempted to respond, but Trump told her to listen.
"Be quiet, listen! You don’t listen! You never listen. That’s why you’re second-rate. We’re not going to war. We’re gonna clean up our cities. We’re gonna clean them up, so they don’t kill five people every weekend," he said. "That’s not war, that’s common sense."
Shortly after the tense exchange, Trump sparred with ABC senior White House correspondent Selina Wang when she asked why he would deploy troops to Chicago when there are cities in the U.S. with higher crime rates.
"Excuse me, do you know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. Do you know many people who were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven. Do you how many were wounded? Seventy-four people were wounded. You think there’s worse than that? I don’t think so," Trump said.
Illinois officials decry Trump post threatening Chicago with deportations: ‘Disgusting’
A post by President Trump appearing to threaten Chicago with the military received pushback from Illinois politicos: "Disgusting."
Trump has been mulling deploying National Guard troops to quell crime in Chicago, but has faced opposition from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other local officials. Without state cooperation, National Guard troops are typically restricted to defending federal property.
Chicago recorded 573 homicides in 2024, marking the 13th straight year the city led the nation in total murders, according to Chicago Police Department data compiled by Wirepoints.
According to the Council on Criminal Justice’s year-end 2024 update, aggravated assaults declined by 4% compared to 2023 but remained 4% higher than in 2019. The council reported that gun assaults fell 15%, though they were still 5% above 2019 levels, and that carjackings dropped 32% year-over-year, yet were 25% higher than in 2019.
The other side:
The president’s remarks came the same day Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth appeared on Face the Nation and discussed her recent visit to Great Lakes Naval Station in North Chicago.
Duckworth, a member of the U.S. Armed Services Committee, said there are no current plans to house National Guard troops in the barracks there. Other than providing additional office space for ICE agents, she said, no special accommodations are being made for more military personnel.
She also offered a pointed message to the president about diverting resources to immigration enforcement.
"Great Lakes Naval Training Base, where every single recruit in the United States Navy goes through to get their basic training and, later, advanced training—we need to make sure not a single dollar, not a single penny of the resources they have should be directed away from training our nation’s sailors and getting them ready to do their jobs. None of that money needs to be diverted in order to support ICE," Duckworth said.
What's next:
All of this comes as Chicago leaders brace for a potential escalation in ICE activity throughout the city and suburbs as early as this week.
The Source: Details provided for this story were provided by Fox 32 anchor Scott Schneider, using press availability from President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Sunday. Fox News also contributed to this report.