If the latest video from the White House and Donald Trump’s is anything to go by, then “Chicago is in chaos.” However, the internet wasn’t buying the narrative, nor were some media houses, who quickly fact-checked the clip posted by The White House’s official X handle, which was later reposted by Trump on Truth Social.
The White House shared a video captioned, “An incompetent Mayor. A delusional Governor. Chicago is in chaos, and the American people are paying the price. Chicago doesn’t need political spin—it needs HELP.”
Accompanying the over-the-top video clip was a voiceover by Trump, in which he took a jibe at the local Democratic leaders. The clip featured Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker as the text “ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIENS, CARTELS, AND GANGS ARE POISONING OUR KIDS” flashed on the screen,
An incompetent Mayor. A delusional Governor. Chicago is in chaos, and the American people are paying the price.
Chicago doesn’t need political spin—it needs HELP. pic.twitter.com/INR42XBdqA
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 8, 2025
However, news publication The Daily Beast claimed that the clips used in the video shared by Trump and the White House happen to be old footage of ICE raids in Florida. The biggest giveaway was the palm trees, which are not Chicago staples.
Daily Beast shared detailed screenshots of the clip and stated, “The Daily Beast can reveal that much of the footage was actually filmed in April in Florida, the state home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence—with a big giveaway being that it features palm trees, which are not known to grow in Chicago.”
The deceptive video posted by the White House, and later reshared by Trump, also garnered a response from Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker’s spokesman Matt Hill. “We are proud that Chicago was just ranked the best big city in the United States. We are proud of its beautiful beaches, booming businesses, and decent people. However, we cannot claim credit for many palm trees here,” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Beast.
The spokesperson added, “We know the lies don’t just come out of their mouths. So, it’s not surprising that the Trump team spends more time producing videos purporting images of Florida as Illinois—rather than spending any time to lower prices or protect healthcare for hardworking Americans.”
Outraged netizens instantly called out Trump and the White House for posting a false video. “This is unpresidential and blatantly false,” wrote a user. Similar thoughts echoed throughout the thread. “Nope. Stop LYING,” read one of the comments. “How come none of the live video from nowadays shows any violence? The only violence I’ve seen is a reposted Fox video from half a decade ago at least,” read a second. “Chicago is doing just fine. It sure as hell doesn’t need anyone from this admin there,” read another comment. “The chaos is coming from the White House,” read a comment from another user.
A user on X mentioned that contrary to the “chaos” claims made in the video, “Chicago is not engulfed in chaos. Protesters are voicing opposition to ICE operations and the unwelcome presence of federal troops in their city.” Several users flagged the post as inaccurate, with one writing, “We’re not in chaos whatsoever. Stop misleading the country.”
Another added, “You said the same about Portland.” The comment referred to Trump’s recent claim that the situation in the area is like a “war zone.” Amid the ongoing ICE protests in Portland, Donald Trump announced that he would be deploying the National Guard to the area to minimize “domestic terrorists.”
