Illinois Governor JB Pritzker spoke at a news conference Monday afternoon, addressing reports President Trump is planning to send the military to Chicago. Here is the full text of his remarks.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker delivered a strong rebuke of President Trump’s potential deployment of the military to Chicago during a news conference on Monday.

President Donald Trump continued feuding with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as Democratic leaders in Illinois push back against Trump's crime crackdown.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker holds a joint press conference with Mayor Brandon Johnson and community leaders at Riverpoint Park in Chicago, Illinois on August 25, 2025 to emphasize there is no emergency that requires President Trump to send military deployments to Chicago (Video by Alexandra Buxbaum/Sipa USA)

The president said he’s not a dictator, just a smart guy who cares about Beverly Hills car trunks and violent carp.