President Donald Trump launched into a heated confrontation with NBC News correspondent Yamiche Alcindor on September 7, 2025, after she questioned him about his social media threats regarding Chicago. The exchange occurred on the South Lawn of the White House as Trump prepared to depart for the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York.
The confrontation stemmed from a provocative meme Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on September 6. The post featured an AI-generated image depicting Trump as Lieutenant Colonel William Kilgore from the 1979 film “Apocalypse Now,” with helicopters and flames over the Chicago skyline. The caption read: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”
When Alcindor asked whether Trump was trying to go to war with Chicago, the president initially responded by calling her inquiry “fake news” and addressing her as “darling.” As Alcindor attempted to follow up with questions about his use of military rhetoric, Trump’s demeanor escalated significantly.
Trump interrupted the reporter, telling her: “You don’t listen. You never listen. That’s why you’re second-rate.” He then clarified his position on Chicago, stating that his administration would clean up cities rather than wage war against them, referencing weekend violence statistics as justification for federal intervention.
The president’s social media post referenced the newly renamed Department of War, which Trump established through an executive order signed on September 5. This order restored the pre-World War II designation for what is currently known as the Department of Defense.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker responded to Trump’s original post on September 6, characterizing it as a threat of war against an American city. Pritzker described Trump as a “wannabe dictator” and stated that Illinois would not be intimidated. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson similarly condemned the president’s rhetoric, calling the threats beneath the honor of the nation.
Trump has repeatedly indicated his intention to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago to address crime, similar to actions taken in Washington, D.C., where his administration assumed control of the Metropolitan Police Department. However, legal challenges have emerged regarding such deployments. A federal judge recently ruled that Trump’s National Guard deployment to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
During the September 7 exchange, another reporter questioned why Trump was focusing on Chicago when other cities have higher crime rates. The president defended his approach by citing specific violence statistics from recent weekends in Chicago, including eight homicides the previous weekend and seven the week before, along with 74 people wounded.
Chicago recorded 573 homicides in 2024, marking the 13th consecutive year the city led the nation in total murders. According to data from the Council on Criminal Justice, aggravated assaults in Chicago declined by four percent compared to 2023 but remained four percent higher than 2019 levels.
The confrontation with Alcindor drew criticism from civil rights leaders and Democratic officials. Representative Jonathan L. Jackson of Illinois suggested Trump was intimidated by Black women, while the National Association of Black Journalists defended Alcindor through its president, Errin Haines, who emphasized the importance of protecting press freedom.
This incident marks another in a series of confrontational exchanges between Trump and Black female journalists. During his first term, Trump previously called questions from Alcindor “racist” and “nasty,” and has similarly criticized other reporters including April Ryan and Abby Phillip.
Border czar Tom Homan attempted to clarify Trump’s social media post during a CNN interview, claiming the president’s words were taken out of context. Homan suggested the administration was targeting criminal cartels and illegal immigrants rather than the city itself, though the original post specifically mentioned Chicago twice and featured imagery of the city’s skyline.
The White House has not provided a specific timeline for potential federal intervention in Chicago. Both Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson have indicated they have not requested federal assistance and oppose uninvited federal presence in their jurisdictions. Without state cooperation, National Guard troops would typically be restricted to defending federal property.
