President Donald Trump clashed with NBC News White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor on Sunday after she asked him whether he intended to “go to war” with Chicago. The exchange followed a controversial meme he posted a day earlier, warning that the city would “learn about the Department of War.” As Trump spoke with reporters ahead of his trip to New York for the US Open, Alcindor asked, “Are you trying to go to war with Chicago?”
“When you say that, darling, that’s fake news,” Trump replied, initially keeping a calm tone. When Alcindor attempted to interject, the former president cut her off sharply.
Donald Trump Calls Female Journalist ‘Second-Rate’
“Be quiet, listen!” Trump snapped.
“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. We’re gonna clean them up, so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war, that’s common sense.”
Reporter: Are you ready to go with war Chicago? Why use the Department of Defense?
Trump: Be quiet. You don’t listen. That’s why you’re second rate. We’re not going to war. pic.twitter.com/3dfUTaY7h2
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 7, 2025
On Saturday, Trump posted an edited Apocalypse Now–style meme on his Truth Social accounts, captioned, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning.” The post continued with a warning: “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”
Also Read: ‘Wannabe Dictator’: Illinois Governor Slams Trump As He threatens Chicago With Apocalyptic Force
Department of Defense Named as Department of War
The post came just one day after Trump signed an executive order to officially rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, restoring its pre-World War II title.
For days, Trump has suggested deploying the National Guard to Chicago to tackle violent crime, similar to his recent move in Washington, D.C., where his administration also assumed control of the Metropolitan Police Department.
He has also floated possible interventions in Baltimore and New Orleans, both of which have higher per-capita murder rates than Chicago, though fewer total killings.
Chicago Crime Statistics
When asked why he was singling out Chicago despite other cities recording higher murder rates, Trump cited recent figures to defend his focus.
“Excuse me, do you know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. Do you know how many people were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven,” he said. “Do you know how many were wounded? Seventy-four people were wounded. You think there’s worse than that? I don’t think so.”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
