ENGLEWOOD (WBBM Newsradio) - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker both denounced President Trump's suggestion that the U.S. military deploy active-duty forces into Chicago and other Democratic-run U-S cities to serve as training grounds.
President Trump told generals during an appearance in Virginia that they should consider using American cities to train military forces for what he described as an invasion from within.
After an unrelated event Tuesday afternoon at Englewood's Kennedy-King College, 6301 S. Halsted, Mayor Johnson told reporters that the proposal was another sign of what he called the President's military obsession.
"American cities are not training grounds for the military," said the mayor, calling the suggestion insulting. "In no way will we tolerate the mere suggestion of our cities being used as a training ground."
Gov. Pritzker sought to tie the idea to the government regime in Russia.
"Not only has dementia set in - but he's copying tactics of Vladimir Putin," said the governor, insisting that he and state Attorney General Kwame Raoul are ready to go to court to challenge any attempt to send military forces into the city or state.
"Believe me, the law is on our side when it comes to keeping troops out of the city and out of the state," Pritzker said.