Gov. JB Pritzker: President Donald Trump planning an ‘invasion’ of Chicago
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President Donald Trump is considering an “invasion” of Chicago with National Guard troops, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said during an interview with CBS News that partially aired Friday.
“It’s clear that, in secret, they’re planning this, well, it’s an invasion with U.S. troops, if they, in fact, do that,” Pritzker told CBS’ Ed O’Keefe. “CBS Evening News” aired the clip Friday night, and more of the interview is set to air Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Trump has said he is considering sending National Guard troops to Chicago to help address crime, after he sent troops to Washington, D.C.
“They should understand that he has other aims other than fighting crime, that’s the first thing they should understand. The second is it is an attack on the American people. By the president of the United States. Now he may disagree with a state that didn’t vote for him, but should he be sending troops in? No,” Pritzker said.
Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at Austin Convention Center on March 11, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Andy Wenstrand/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)
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O’Keefe pressed further on what Pritzker believed were Trump’s other intentions.
“The other aims are that he would like to stop the elections in 2026, or, frankly, take control of those elections. He’ll just claim that there’s some problem with an election, and then he’s got troops on the ground that can take control. If, in fact, he’s allowed to do this,” Pritzker responded.
The Illinois governor has said that if Trump sends National Guard troops to Chicago, the state would respond.
“Unlike Donald Trump, we keep our promises,” the governor wrote Wednesday on X. “We will not stand idly by if he decides to send the National Guard to intimidate Chicagoans.”
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President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Action will be met with a response,” he continued.
Last week, the governor said there is no crime emergency in Chicago and accused Trump of “attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.”
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker delivers remarks in Chicago alongside Mayor Brandon Johnson and other officials after reports the White House is preparing to deploy National Guard troops to the city. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
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“It’s amazing the lengths this slob will go to in order to deflect from the terrible crime crisis that has been plaguing Chicago for years,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told CBS News. “Chicago’s residents would be much safer if Pritzker actually did his job and addressed his crime problem instead of trying to be a Resistance Lib hero.”
When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, the White House pointed to its statement to CBS.
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Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.