Trump shares Apocalypse Now parody threatening Chicago with National Guard

President Donald Trump sparked controversy on Saturday with a provocative social media post hinting at the deployment of federal troops to Chicago. The post, featuring a parody meme of Trump as a commander at war with the city, drew swift criticism from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and other officials who viewed it as a threat.

In the meme, Trump is depicted as a character from the movie “Apocalypse Now,” with the text “I love the smell of deportations in the morning…” superimposed above the image. The post also included a reference to changing the Defense Department’s name to the Department of War, with Trump declaring, “Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”

The image, which showed helicopters flying over the Chicago skyline in a fiery background, seemed designed to provoke Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both of whom have strongly opposed Trump’s threats to deploy the National Guard in the city.

Pritzker quickly responded to the post, condemning Trump’s “threat” to go to war with an American city. Johnson also weighed in, accusing Trump of wanting to occupy Chicago and break the Constitution. Senator Dick Durbin joined in the criticism, calling the post “disgusting” and an embarrassment.

Trump has previously floated the idea of deploying the National Guard in Chicago, following similar actions in Washington, D.C. However, National Guard units sent without state approval are typically restricted to defending federal property and personnel.

Chicago has faced significant challenges with crime, recording 573 homicides in 2024. While aggravated assaults and gun assaults have seen some declines, the city continues to grapple with high levels of violence.

As the debate over federal intervention in Chicago continues, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in the coming days. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.