“They’re Afraid of Us Uniting,” Declared Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as He Defiantly Condemned President Donald Trump’s “War” on Chicago
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson didn’t mince words in response to President Donald Trump’s latest threat to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807—an extreme move that would allow the president to deploy active-duty military across U.S. cities.
“If I had to enact it, I’d do it,” Trump told reporters Monday, saying he wouldn’t hesitate to send in troops if courts or local officials “held us up.” The remark comes as the administration faces legal challenges from Democratic governors opposing federal troop deployments to cities like Chicago and Portland.
On Tuesday, Johnson fired back during a press conference, calling Trump’s threat “unprecedented” and “outrageous.”
“You’re talking about an individual who incited an insurrection,” Johnson said, referencing Trump’s role in the January 6th Capitol attack. “His fixation on disrupting this democracy…it’s so outrageous.”
Trump, who pardoned more than 1,500 participants of the Capitol riot upon taking office in 2024, has since dismissed his legal troubles tied to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
‘His Soul…He’s Lost,’ Johnson Says
Johnson, invoking his Christian faith, said he prays for Trump but described the president as “a brittle man” and “incredibly fragile.”
“His soul…he’s lost,” Johnson said. “That weakness of insecurity has created a great deal of rage.”
He compared Trump’s disregard for democratic norms to authoritarian leaders abroad, saying, “He’s expressed a degree of lawlessness that would make Vladimir Putin blush.”
‘They’re Afraid of Us Uniting’
As Chicago braces for ICE raids and the arrival of National Guard troops, Johnson urged residents not to be consumed by fear.
“Fear is real, and that’s what the president wants,” he said. “He wants us to be afraid.”
But Johnson argued that it’s actually the president and the “ultra-rich” who are frightened—of an America that is more diverse and politically aware than ever.
“[They] are terrified of Black and brown and Asian people having more political power than we’ve ever had,” he said. “It’s why they’re banning books. It’s why they’re sowing seeds of division. They’re afraid of us uniting.”
Johnson said his administration is enacting new executive orders to protect residents’ rights and limit where federal troops can stage operations in public spaces. “Families should feel absolutely secure and safe,” he said.
