President Donald Trump has triggered national outrage after issuing what critics are calling a threat of military occupation against the city of Chicago, declaring the city is “about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR” just as federal agents begin ICE raids across the area.
In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump, 79, shared a meme of himself with the phrase: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”
The message, which referenced his recent rebranding of the Pentagon to the “Department of War,” coincided with a ramp-up in federal immigration enforcement activity in the city, raising immediate alarm from state and city officials.
The White House later amplified Trump’s message by reposting it on X (formerly Twitter) accompanied by three helicopter emojis — a nod many took to suggest military deployment.