U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at a large-scale crackdown on immigrants involving military troops in Chicago by parodying scenes and dialogues from the movie "Apocalypse Now."
On the 6th (local time), President Trump posted a composite image titled "Chipocalypse Now" on his social media service "Truth Social." This expression appears to combine the original movie title "Apocalypse Now" and Chicago.
He left the phrase "I love the smell of deportations in the morning." This is a reference to the movie character Colonel Kilgore's line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
He also wrote, "Chicago will soon find out why it is called the Department of WAR." President Trump had signed an executive order a day earlier to rename the Ministry of National Defense to the "Department of WAR."
The released composite image depicts President Trump in military attire, wearing sunglasses and a U.S. Cavalry hat, looking at military helicopters against the backdrop of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. It appears to mimic scenes from the Vietnam War in the movie.
As comments suggesting military deployment in reference to the Vietnam War surfaced, JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, responded by saying, "The president is threatening to wage war on American cities. This is neither a joke nor normal behavior." He added, "Trump is not a strongman; he is a scared person. Illinois will not yield to someone who dreams of being a dictator."
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also strongly criticized, stating, "The president's threats undermine the honor of the nation and are an attempt to occupy cities and dismantle the constitution." He said, "We will protect democracy by safeguarding each other and protecting Chicago from Trump."
After the controversy continued, President Trump clarified to reporters, "I am not saying I am going to war with Chicago, but that I want to clean up the city."
Earlier, President Trump had indicated the deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, led by Democratic governors and mayors, stating that it was necessary "to eradicate crime and crack down on illegal immigrants."
Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, is a political stronghold of former President Barack Obama, where the influence of the Democratic Party remains strong. Governor Pritzker is considered a potential candidate for the next Democratic presidential nomination.