Illinois Gov JB Pritzker blasts Trump's Chicago federal takeover threat: 'We don't play those games'

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has pushed back against President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Chicago could face a federal takeover to curb crime after Washington, DC.

Trump had hinted during a White House news conference that Chicago might be next to face National Guard deployment, drawing a strong rebuke from Pritzker and city officials.

Donald Trump says Chicago could be 'next one' after Washington, DC

During an Oval Office press conference on Friday, August 22, Donald Trump suggested his administration could step in to make Chicago safe, just as it has in Washington, DC, where nearly 2,000 National Guard troops were deployed despite local claims that crime has fallen.

“Chicago is a mess, you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we will straighten that one out next,” Trump said while criticizing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

“That will be our next one after this, and it won’t even be tough,” the commander-in-chief added.

JB Pritzker accuses Trump of trying to 'create chaos'

JB Pritzker fired back online, saying Donald Trump’s remarks were meant to distract.

“As Donald Trump attempts to create chaos that distracts from his problems, we’ll call it out for what it is,” Pritzker wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

He accused Republicans of focusing on political theater while harming Americans.

“Trump and Republicans are trying to distract from the pain they’re causing — from tariffs raising the prices of goods to stripping away healthcare and food from millions,” the Democrat further wrote.

The governor also said Trump was testing his power in cities across the country. “After using Los Angeles and Washington, DC as his testing ground for authoritarian overreach, Trump is now openly flirting with the idea of taking over other states and cities,” Pritzker added.

JB Pritzker calls Trump's threat a 'spectacle' and cites falling crime

JB Pritzker argued that Donald Trump’s aim was not safety but politics. "Trump’s goal is to incite fear in our communities and destabilize existing public safety efforts — all to create a justification to further abuse his power. He’s playing a game and creating a spectacle for the press to play along with,” he wrote.

The 60-year-old said Illinois would not back down. “We don’t play those games. Our commitment to law and order is delivering results,” the governor stressed.

Citing statistics, he added, “Crime rates are improving. Homicides are down by more than 30 percent in Chicago in the last year alone.” 

Mayor Johnson also issued a statement, saying troops would “undermine” progress. "There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them," Johnson stated. 

JB Pritzker slammed over response to Trump's threat

Soon after JB Pritzker pushed back against Donald Trump's threat to "straighten out" Chicago, the president's supporters rushed to criticize the Illinois governor and his leadership. 

“What is your plan? All you guys attack the president but you have nothing to offer,” asked one X user. Another pushed back against the governor, writing, “Lifelong Illinoisan. JB is the worst governor in my lifetime.”

Others criticized his leadership directly. A person wrote, “Stop campaigning for President and start working for Illinois,” while another added, “You have the option to fix it yourself.”

One more said, "Two things can be true at once. You’re also deflecting from actual problems here at home."

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