Photo: Getty Images North America
President Donald Trump lashed out at a Black reporter who questioned him about his threats of military action in Chicago.
In a Truth Social post on Saturday (September 6), Trump shared an edited image of himself in a scene from Apocalypse Now, threatening federal intervention in Chicago and referring to the Department of Defense as the "Department of War."
“I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR," Trump captioned the post.
On Sunday (September 7), NBC reporter Yamiche Alcindor questioned Trump about his post.
“You trying to go to war with Chicago?” Alcindor asked.
“That’s fake news,” Trump said while speaking from the White House lawn before departing for the U.S. Open in New York.
When Alcindor attempted to follow up, Trump abruptly interrupted her.
“Be quiet. Listen! You don’t listen. You never listen,” he snapped, calling the reporter "darling." “That’s why you’re second-rate.”
Alcindor pressed further, asking Trump about his rhetoric when referring to the Department of Defense.
“We’re not going to war,” Trump replied. “We’re gonna clean up our cities… clean them up so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war. That’s common sense.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened to deploy federal troops to Chicago, echoing previous moves in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. While the D.C. deployment falls under federal authority, similar action in Los Angeles faced immediate legal challenges.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have publicly opposed any federal intervention. Pritzker confirmed that he has not requested federal help, while Johnson signed an executive order barring local law enforcement from cooperating with any uninvited federal presence.
Critics slammed Trump’s exchange with Alcindor.
“President Trump is intimidated by Black women… I stand with @Yamiche as she does her JOB for the American people,” Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL) said.
“The president of the United States calls a female reporter ‘darling’ before telling her to ‘be quiet’ and saying she’s ‘second-rate’. Totally normal stuff here in America in 2025," MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan tweeted.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.