Trump Calls for Jail Time for Chicago Mayor, Ill. Governor

President doesn't elaborate on what laws he thinks they broke
Posted Oct 8, 2025 10:10 AM CDT
Trump Calls for Jail Time for Chicago Mayor, Ill. Governor
President Trump waits to greet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House on Tuesday in Washington.   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

It's a growing war of words between Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and President Trump. "He's out of his mind and has dementia," Pritzker said at a Tuesday night event when he was asked about the president's decision to mobilize the National Guard in Illinois. Trump responded succinctly on Truth Social on Wednesday: "Chicago Mayor [Brandon Johnson] should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!" The Wall Street Journal notes Trump didn't elaborate on which laws he believes the Democratic officials violated.

NBC News reports both men had strong responses to the president's statement:

  • Pritzker wrote on X: "I will not back down. Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?"
  • Johnson wrote on X: "This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested. I'm not going anywhere."

The dispute comes amid ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Chicago that have sparked protests. The Trump administration has responded by activating the National Guard in Illinois, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from state Democrats. Illinois officials have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the troop deployments. CBS News reports that Johnson on Tuesday signed an executive order that bars ICE and other federal agencies from using city-owned parking lots, empty lots, or garages to carry out civil immigration enforcement actions.

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