Mayor Brandon Johnson says Chicago will ‘rise up’ if Trump brings in National Guard to crack down on crime

Trump spoke against Pritzker on Monday, calling the governor a "slob." He said that Chicago is "a killing field right now" and that the leadership in the city and state doesn't "acknowledge it."

"The city of Chicago does not need a military-occupied state. That's not who we are," Johnson said when asked what his reaction would be to Trump taking a federal approach to law enforcement in the city. Trump had previously brought National Guard troops into LA to back up Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials who were getting attacked for doing their jobs.

"And I commend the work of Mayor Bass, my colleague and, you know, all the folks in Los Angeles who stood up and fought, you know, against this, you know, authoritarianism. Here's the bottom line," Johnson went on, "they don't have police power. There's nothing they can do."

"You know, these are federal troops. They do not go through the training that our police officers go through. So they cannot even enact police authority."

"But the President has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to what, arrest nine people in DC? You know, that is, clearly he's demonstrated that he doesn't have a level of consciousness to understand what it takes to run cities, not to mention an entire country." There have been hundreds of arrests and after 10 days, no homicides for the first time in years.

"And so, you know, look, we're going to remain firm. We'll take legal action, but the people of this city are accustomed to rising up against tyranny, and if that's necessary, I believe that the people of Chicago will stand firm alongside of me as I work every single day to protect the people of this city," Johnson threatened.

When further pressed on the matter, Johnson said "we're all in lockstep here in the state of Illinois," referring to Governor JB Pritzker's harsh words for Trump's crime-fighting efforts. "As I continue to work with the governor, the Cook County Board President, these are strong partners and elected officials, as well as our faith community, our business leaders.

"You know, look, the city of Chicago, one of the most diverse economies in the world, right, again, you know, a city that has been, you know, founded and established on the values of working people. We're not going to surrender our humanity to this tyrant.

"I can tell you this, the city of Chicago has a long history of standing up against tyranny, resisting those who wish to undermine the interests of working people. We're not gonna back down, we're not gonna cower, we're not gonna bend, we're not gonna break. We are Chicago, we are the soul of America, and we will maintain that posture from now until."

Trump said on Friday that the people in Chicago "are screaming for us to come. They're wearing red hats, just like this one. But they're wearing red hats—African American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying 'Please, President Trump, come to Chicago, please.'" These were the remarks Johnson was responding to.

He touted his vote count among the black community in America before saying, "I think Chicago will be our next, and then we'll help with New York." New York Governor Kathy Hochul had deployed 250 National Guard troops into the MTA in 2024 in an attempt to rein in rising crime. NYC subway murders rose to a 25-year high in 2024.