Illinois Governor JB Pritzker fired back at Trump with a bold "come and get me" challenge after the President threatened to jail him over alleged failures to protect ICE officers. Amid their heated exchange, the Democrat stood his ground, saying, "This is a convicted felon threatening to jail me. He's unhinged, insecure, and acting like a wannabe dictator."
Speaking to reporters, he added, "There's one thing I really want to say Donald Trump: if you come for my people, you come through me. So, come and get me." It comes hours after Trump posted on his Truth Social: "Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE Officers!"
War of Words
"Governor Pritzker also!" Trump added. Around 200 Texas National Guard troops arrived in crime-hit Chicago on Tuesday, joined by 200 Illinois guardsmen federalized by the Pentagon. Trump, who often calls the city "Chiraq," claims violent Antifa rioters are endangering ICE agents during arrests of undocumented immigrants.
The White House also highlighted the city's alarming weekend violence, with seven people killed and 26 injured in shootings.
In response, Illinois and the city of Chicago have filed a lawsuit to block the administration from deploying the troops.
"This is a man who's suffering dementia," Pritzker told the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday. "This is a man who has something stuck in his head. He can't get it out of his head."
Pritzker added: "[Trump] doesn't read. He doesn't know anything that's up-to-date. It's just something in the recesses of his brain that is effectuating to have him call out these cities.
"And then, unfortunately, he has the power of the military, the power of the federal government to do his bidding, and that's what he's doing."
In recent weeks, Trump's Department of Homeland Security has intensified its presence in Chicago to push forward a large-scale deportation campaign targeting undocumented immigrants.
Trump's Action Underway
Dubbed "Operation Midway Blitz," the effort began in early September to expand ICE's deportation operations throughout the city. For more than a month, ICE officials have faced daily confrontations with protesters at detention centers.
Trump has argued that federal troops are necessary to protect ICE agents and DHS staff carrying out the administration's deportation efforts. A federal judge in Chicago is scheduled to hold a hearing later this week on the lawsuit filed by city and state leaders seeking to block the troop deployments.
The judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the administration from sending troops, leaving the matter to be resolved through the courts.
"We're not going to go to war between the state of Illinois and the federal government, not taking up arms against the federal government," Pritzker told reporters.
"But we are monitoring everything they're doing, and using that monitoring to win in court."
Trump's Democratic critics have long expressed concern that he might use the powers of the presidency to target political opponents. Previously, Trump called on the Department of Justice to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Just days after Trump's legal threats against Comey, the DOJ indicted him for allegedly lying to Congress. Comey is scheduled to be arraigned later on Wednesday.
