JB Pritzker is questioning Donald Trump’s unchecked power. The Illinois Governor called the President out for his appeal and accused him of practicing “authoritarianism.” His statement comes after the President called to get him and the Mayor of Chicago imprisoned.
“Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on Truth Social. The President’s demand came after the National Guard troops were ordered to march into the state.
200 members from the Texas National Guard troops made their way into Illinois, abiding by the President’s decision. The troops will be stationed in the state for a period of 60 days. The state and its leaders’ previous efforts to stop the deployment of the troops went in vain.
There’s an ongoing lawsuit that is challenging the government’s decision to deploy the troops in the state despite their opposition. Pritzker has been standing his ground by labelling the deployment as an unconstitutional invasion.
The Illinois Governor even took to X (formerly known as X) to declare war on Trump. “I will not back down,” he declared in a post. He went on to point out how the President is calling to get elected representatives arrested. “What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?” he questioned.
TRUMP calls for the ARRESTS of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
The TIME is NOW. pic.twitter.com/IEtVGFsoyY
— The SCIF (@TheIntelSCIF) October 8, 2025
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, whom Trump also wants imprisoned, addressed the same on CNN. The Mayor called the President “unstable” and “unhinged.” He accused the 79-year-old of “unjustly” attempting to arrest a black man before as well.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Johnson added. The feud between Trump and the state’s official has worsened over the course of the past month. Pritzker accused the President of strategically causing “chaos” as a “pretext” to deploy the National Guard in Chicago.
The Governor also hinted at the President being strategic with the “chaos” in a press conference that took place on Monday. He alleged that the 79-year-old is “following a playbook.” Pritzker accused him of intentionally causing chaos, fear, and confusion.
The President was also accused of making “ it seem like peaceful protesters are a mob by firing gas pellets and tear gas canisters at them.” On the other hand, the Trump administration has maintained that its actions are necessary to safeguard the city that it describes to be crime-ridden.
Trump and his administration’s claims have been questioned time and time again, with people citing crime statistics to debunk the narrative. Contrary to the President’s claims, the city of Chicago has seen a significant drop in the crime rate, according to official statistics.
