Trump Threatens National Guard Deployment in Chicago; Illinois Governor Rejects Move

President Donald Trump has intensified his threats to deploy National Guard troops and immigration agents to Chicago amid rising crime concerns, posting a parody image referencing the 1979 film "Apocalypse Now" with the caption "I love the smell of deportations in the morning" and branding Chicago as the "Department of WAR." This follows his executive order to rename the Defense Department as the Department of War, a move requiring congressional approval. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned Trump's rhetoric, calling him a "wannabe dictator" and warning against military intervention in the city. While some Democratic leaders oppose the deployment, others, like Alderman Raymond Lopez, have expressed support given Chicago's crime challenges. Trump has already sent troops to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles and hinted at possible deployments to Baltimore, New Orleans, and Portland, Oregon. Protests have erupted in Washington, D.C., opposing the National Guard presence, reflecting widespread opposition to Trump's law enforcement strategies in Democratic-led cities.