Noem and Pritzker Clash Over Federal Response to Chicago Violence
CHICAGO – South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem ignited a political firestorm Friday, describing Chicago as a “war zone” following an incident where border patrol agents shot and injured a woman during an encounter Saturday.The exchange underscores escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders over federal intervention in cities experiencing high crime rates.
The dispute centers on the Trump administration’s deployment of 300 members of the Illinois National Guard to Chicago, authorized to protect federal officers and property. This move follows a similar federalization of police in Washington, D.C., and signals a broader pattern of intervention in Democratic-run cities, with President Trump previously stating Chicago would be “next.”
noem, appearing on Fox News, criticized Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s response to the situation, labeling it “unhinged and unhealthy.” she accused the mayor of lying about conditions on the ground and asserted, “His city is a war zone and he’s lying so that criminals can go in there and destroy people’s lives.” noem further claimed the administration’s actions have improved safety, stating, “People are much safer, we have got a thousand criminals that are off the streets of Chicago, just because we’ve been there.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker vehemently countered noem’s claims on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, accusing the administration of causing the crisis. “They are the ones who are making it a war zone,” Pritzker said. “they need to get out of Chicago. If they’re not going to focus on the worst of the worst, which is what the president said they are going to do, they need to get the heck out.”
The incident prompting the latest exchange involved border patrol agents shooting a woman Saturday while responding to a perceived threat. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the woman, a U.S. citizen armed with a semi-automatic weapon, was also identified in a recent Customs and Border Protection intelligence bulletin as allegedly “doxing” agents.
Pritzker also revealed on X Saturday that the Trump administration issued an ultimatum: deploy Illinois troops or have the federal government do so. He labeled the decision “absolutely outrageous and un-American,” adding it was made “against our will.”
