JB Pritzker calls potential deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago an ‘attack on the American people’

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he may deploy the National Guard into Chicago to address crime and illegal immigration, calling it an “attack on the American people.”

In an interview on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Pritzker was asked how Americans might respond if the Trump administration were to send military forces into major cities, similar to how Trump previously deployed forces to Washington, DC. Trump has speculated he would consider doing so in large Democrat-run cities, including Chicago.

“Well, they should understand that he has other aims, other than fighting crime,” Pritzker said. “That's the first thing they should understand. The second is, it's 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 continued by saying Trump’s real aim would be to “stop the elections in 2026” or “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 added. 

When asked if he believes Trump is authoritarian, Pritzker made a reference to Nazi Germany and Hitler, saying, “Look, I can tell you this. I built a Holocaust Museum. I know what the history was of a constitutional republic being overturned, after an election, in 53 days. And I'm very, very concerned. We could talk about lots of authoritarian regimes in the world, but that just happens to be the one that I know. And I can tell you that the playbook is the same. It's thwart the media, it's create mayhem that requires military interdiction. These are things that happen throughout history, and Donald Trump is just following that playbook.”

Trump responded on Truth Social on Saturday, attacking Pritzker’s stance by noting the amount of violent crime in the city of Chicago.

“Six people were killed, and 24 people were shot, in Chicago last weekend, and JB Pritzker, the weak and pathetic Governor of Illinois, just said that he doesn’t need help in preventing CRIME. He is CRAZY!!! He better straighten it out, FAST, or we’re coming!” Trump wrote.

Earlier in the week, Trump also mocked Pritzker, who is considered a potential contender in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. The president insulted Pritzker’s weight, saying he “ought to spend more time in the gym, actually.”