Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has accused President Donald Trump of planning an ‘invasion’ of Chicago with National Guard troops, according to an interview with CBS News released Friday. Pritzker, a Democrat, called the potential deployment of troops a political maneuver, claiming it is part of Trump’s broader agenda to challenge state authority and influence elections. The governor has warned that if Trump proceeds with sending National Guard units to Chicago, the state would respond with its own actions.
During the interview with CBS’ Ed O’Keefe, Pritzker expressed deep concern over the use of military force in domestic law enforcement, stating, ‘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.’ He further accused Trump of having ‘other aims’ beyond addressing crime, such as undermining the 2026 elections and asserting control over state governance. This accusation has sparked widespread criticism from Illinois Democratic leaders, who have condemned Trump’s push to deploy National Guard troops as an attempt to politicize law enforcement and shift blame for Chicago’s crime challenges.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to Pritzker’s claims, calling the governor ‘a Resistance Lib hero’ and accusing him of failing to address Chicago’s long-standing crime crisis. ‘Chicago’s residents would be much safer if Pritzker actually did his job,’ Jackson stated in a CBS News interview. In a separate statement, the White House emphasized its position on the matter, reiterating its stance against the deployment of National Guard forces to Chicago without a clear justification for such an action.
Pritzker has consistently argued that there is no emergency in Chicago and that Trump’s call for military action is a distraction from the larger issues facing the city. ‘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,’ he said, criticizing Trump’s tactics. The governor’s comments have intensified the already volatile political landscape, with tensions rising between state and federal authorities as the debate over the use of military forces in domestic law enforcement continues to escalate.