Donald Trump’s threat to sic his newly renamed “Department of War” on a U.S. city unleashed a torrent of outrage and anger on Saturday, with one longtime critic suggesting it is an impeachable offense.
After being quiet all morning, the president jumped on his Truth Social account to post a meme tied to “Apocalypse Now” with himself as Lieutenant Colonel William "Bill" Kilgore, played by actor Robert Duvall, known primarily for stating, “Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' dink body. The smell, you know, the gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like… victory."
In Trump’s version, posted to Truth Social with Chicago in the background and flames behind Trump, it reads, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning,” followed by “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) was not amused and responded on Bluesky, “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”
“The president of the United States just declared war, actual military war, not a metaphorical one, on a major American city, and one governed by his political opponents. In any other period, this would be impeachment-worthy,” wrote former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan.
NBC News reporter Lawrence Hurley observed, “Not a great leap to go from killing civilians overseas to doing the same thing domestically.”
“I normally make a point to NOT post this s—t. But this is so deranged and anti-American, everyone needs to see it. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. Again, THIS IS NOT NORMAL. The sitting President posting about going to war on a city because he doesn't like the politics of their democratically elected leader,” wrote author Jon Wesley Huff.
Illinois Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, wrote, “The President of the United States just essentially declared a war on Chicago because — wait for it! — Black and Brown people live here. This is not normal. This is not okay. And we are going to f—king fight back.”
“Trump drops all pretense and openly admits the mass raids in Chicago are about ICE raids and deportations (not crime), and essentially declares that he’s going to war with the city,” accused Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council.
Former Barack Obama official Eric Columbus added, “You know who else liked scenes featuring Wagner music?”
Alejandra Caraballo of the Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic, warned, “Trump is declaring war on an American city and American citizens. This is exactly how we spiral into a civil conflict.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a veteran, unloaded, "Take off that Cavalry hat, you draft dodger. You didn’t earn the right to wear it. Stolen valor at its worst."
