Annie Comes Home: USA Today: Trump threatens 'WAR' in Chicago

Monday, September 8, 2025

USA Today: Trump threatens 'WAR' in Chicago

Pamela: Waging war against our communities won't make anyone safer.

Unfortunately, Trump is deadset on deploying the National Guard nationwide — expanding an authoritarian power grab that has put Chicago, Baltimore, New Orleans and other cities on edge.

Servicemembers didn't sign up to pick up trash outside the White House, conduct draconian checkpoints across U.S. cities, or be cogs in Trump's deportation machine. That's why with your help, we're working to remind them they have a different choice.

We're racing to post billboards in Chicago and near key military bases (see examples below!) that connect our troops with organizations that can help them know and exercise their rights in the face of unethical or illegal orders.

As Trump extends his DC takeover, we need to get this message in even more places, quickly. Every dollar matters, which is why we're reaching out to you today. Will you chip in $12 to help us raise $20,000 and inform servicemembers with resources and information about their rights?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

This isn't the first time Trump has used the military to enforce his agenda in our cities, Pamela. Earlier this summer, he deployed 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell protests against his immigration enforcement policies.

Courts have ruled that Trump's LA deployment was illegal. It also cost taxpayers nearly $120 MILLION.[1] That's not all: Reporting revealed "low morale" and "deep concern" amongst National Guard personnel. At least 105 members sought counseling from behavioral health officers, and at least two mid-level commanders were reassigned after objecting to the mission.[2]

But while Trump tries to normalize military deployments on our streets, many servicemembers already understand there's nothing normal about it.

As more troops express concerns or question their roles in Trump's political fights, we can be there for them with the resources and answers they need with a message like this:

It's going to take a monumental effort to spread the word across the country, but your donation today can help fund billboards that will do just that.

Will you help us ensure servicemembers know their rights and have the support they need with a $12 donation today? We're already over halfway to our original goal — and the more money we raise, the longer we can run the billboards and keep this campaign going.

Right now, Trump is sending dozens of reminders that his dangerous brand of authoritarianism has a violent streak. It looks like ordering an unauthorized, unlawful military strike in the Caribbean, mobilizing Marines and the National Guard to intimidate dissenters and target folks trying to keep their families together, roughing up and arresting U.S. Senators for asking questions, and deporting millions of people without due process.

But together, we're responding with sustained and undeniable messages of peace and justice. Because despite his 24/7 effort to tear it down, Trump STILL hasn't changed the fact that we live in a democracy.

From plastering DC with posters calling out the hypocrisy and danger of Trump's birthday military parade to uplifting veterans bravely speaking out to supporting a massive grassroots movement of millions of people ready to say "Hands Off", "No Kings" and demand #WorkersOverBillionaires, we have countered Trump's authoritarian moves at every step — and we're not going anywhere.

Thank you for working for peace,
The Win Without War team

1. The Guardian, "Trump's LA national guard deployment cost taxpayers $120m, Newsom says"
2. The New York Times, "Trump's National Guard Troops Are Questioning Their Mission in L.A." (gift link)