"Chicago is about to learn why the War Department was so named", former US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on 6/9/2024.
The day before, Trump signed an executive order to rename the US Department of Defense to the Department of War, a move seen as an attempt to evoke a more aggressive image of the US and demonstrate the military's readiness for combat.
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Former US President Donald Trump at the White House on 5/9/2024. Photo: AP |
Former US President Donald Trump at the White House on 5/9/2024. Photo: AP
JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party, expressed outrage at Trump's post. Chicago is located in Illinois.
"The former president is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke and it is not normal," Pritzker wrote on X, emphasizing that Chicago "will not be intimidated".
Protesters took to the streets of Chicago on 6/9/2024, holding signs with slogans like "no Trump, no troops". As they passed Trump Tower in Chicago, the protesters made obscene gestures toward the building.
Trump sought to deploy the National Guard to Democrat-led cities, including Chicago, where he accused local authorities of failing to control crime. Chicago recorded 573 murders in 2024, significantly higher than the 377 in New York and 268 in Los Angeles.
Trump previously sent National Guard troops and federal agents to Los Angeles and Washington, moves that faced widespread opposition and legal challenges. Critics called it an unnecessary show of force.
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Protests against Trump in Washington on 6/9/2024. Photo: AP |
Protests against Trump in Washington on 6/9/2024. Photo: AP
On 6/9/2024, thousands marched in downtown Washington, demanding an end to the federal "occupation". In Los Angeles, local officials spoke out against the violent tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to apprehend immigrants on the streets.
In addition to Chicago, Trump also threatened to send federal forces to Baltimore and New Orleans to address crime and undocumented immigration.
Pham Giang (According to AFP)
