President Trump clashed with NBC News correspondent Yamiche Alcindor on Sunday after she asked if he planned to “go to war with Chicago,” following the meme he posted about the “Department of WAR.” He denied the claim, calling her “second-rate” during the exchange.
The confrontation happened before Trump’s trip to New York for the US Open, as reported by the New York Post. Alcindor pressed him about the meme he shared on Truth Social that hinted at action against Chicago.
“When you say that, darling, that’s fake news,” Trump first replied. But when Alcindor tried to interrupt, he snapped back, “Be quiet, listen! You don’t listen! You never listen. That’s why you’re second-rate. We’re not going to war, we’re gonna clean up our cities.”
A day earlier, Trump had shared a meme on Truth Social styled after the film Apocalypse Now, which read, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” It was aimed at Democrats in Chicago, a city long criticized for its gun violence and weekend death tolls.
The post followed his executive order on Friday, renaming the Department of Defense back to its pre-WWII title, the Department of War. He also hinted at sending the National Guard to Chicago, pointing to similar moves in Washington, DC, where his administration took control of the Metropolitan Police Department last month.
Trump has floated expanding the strategy to Baltimore and New Orleans, two cities with higher murder rates than Chicago, though with fewer total killings. But legal questions remain about whether he can deploy troops without approval from state governors, particularly in Democratic-led Illinois and Maryland.
When pressed on why he singled out Chicago, Trump cited recent crime figures. “Excuse me, do you know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. Do you know how many were killed the week before? Seven. Do you know how many were wounded? Seventy-four people were wounded. You think there’s worse than that? I don’t think so.”
It is still unclear when or how Trump will move forward with his plans. His administration has highlighted the decline in crime in Washington, DC, as proof that federal intervention can serve as a model for other cities.
SOURCE: blacknews.com