DONALD Trump has threatened imminent action against the city of Chicago with a bizarre Apocalypse Now-inspired AI graphic.
It depicts the President, sporting sunnies, squatting on a flaming beach with a fleet of choppers flying over him – to Chicago, presumably.
TruthSocial/RealDonaldTrumpTrump seemed to warn that National Guard and/or ICE would be sent into Chicago[/caption]
GettyNational Guard troops policing protests in Washington[/caption]
Instagram/realdonaldtrumpTrump has renamed the Department of Defense as the Department of War[/caption]
The “Chipocalypse Now” caption is a not-so-subtle hint that the film is the inspiration for his artwork.
He also wrote alongside the startling image: “‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning…’
“Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War.”
This refers to Trump’s decision on Friday to revert the Department of Defense to its original name – the Department of War.
He explained that he wanted to instil a “warrior ethos” in America with the move.
His Truth Social post has been widely taken as confirmation he will send National Guard troops into Chicago – as he did to LA in June.
Trump’s bold warning comes despite a judge finding this week that his use of the National Guard in LA was outside of its remit.
The ruling, which the Trump administration can appeal, only applies in California.
The president seems unbothered – having also threatened to deploy troops to Baltimore and New Orleans.
He has cited public disorder as well as high levels of illegal immigration as justification for sending National Guard and ICE troops into the cities.
On Tuesday, he said of Chicago: “Well, we’re going in — I didn’t say when, we’re going in.
“This isn’t a political thing, I have an obligation.”
As Gavin Newsom did in California, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has pushed back hard against Trump’s bravado.
Pritzker responded to Trump’s post by branding him a “scared man”.
He wrote on X: “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city.
“This is not a joke. This is not normal.
APResidents of Illinois protesting the prospect of troops[/caption]
APIllinois Governor JB Pritzker has been highly critical of Trump’s threats[/caption]
“Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man.
“Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also weighed in: “The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution.”
He added on X: “We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump.”
Trump previously said he was waiting for Pritzker to invite him to send troops – something which seems resoundingly unlikely – but has since made clear his patience is wearing thin.
He raged in the Oval Office on Tuesday: “If the governor of Illinois would call up, call me up, I would love to do it.
“Now, we’re going to do it anyway. We have the right to do it.”
Trump had slammed Pritzker and “weak and pathetic” Sunday after the governor claimed the president was “attempting to manufacture a crisis.”
EPAAlmost 5,000 federal troops were sent into LA in June[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
