In classic fashion, the media is up in arms over a meme President Trump shared on his social media platform, Truth Social. It’s almost like déjà vu. A meme featuring a “Shy Apocalypse Now” theme has sent left-leaning mainstream media outlets like The New York Times and ABC into a tailspin of fear and dramatization. To them, it seems, every post is a potential scandal, and this time, they’ve decided that the meme signals Trump planning for battle with Chicago. It’s curious how a playful post can lead to such fevered speculation, but then, Trump being provocative is nothing new.
What’s really at stake here is the broader debate over law enforcement and public safety. In Chicago, recent protests have erupted with calls for the abolition of ICE, the agency responsible for enforcing U.S. immigration laws internally. And here’s where it gets rich—these aren’t peaceful demonstrations debating the balance of power or the finer points of jurisdiction. These are full-throated cries from anti-enforcement radicals who seem to have little regard for the rule of law. That’s where we are, folks. Some people are more interested in protecting those who enter the country illegally than supporting their own local law enforcement.
Amid this chaos, Trump is considering deploying the National Guard. The idea? To protect ICE agents from some of the more overzealous protesters. Like it or not, these brave men and women face violence simply for doing their jobs. One might ask why the outrage is disproportionately directed at them instead of the chaos instigators who would put entire communities at risk. In Democrat-led areas, where crime statistics unsurprisingly soar, perhaps it’s the protection of federal assets that might finally restore some order and predictability.
The rhetoric from some Democratic leaders is equally head-scratching. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker frets that Trump is threatening war against an American city. Yet, much like reactions elsewhere, that’s missing the point. These protests are a direct result of policies—or lack thereof—that have turned cities like Chicago into every weekend’s crime statistics poster child. It’s as if Democrats have grown numb to the violence that pervades their cities, with statistics reaching staggering numbers, year after year. When did the acceptance of such loss of life become the status quo?
Look, safety and security are what people expect from their government. And in some areas, it’s being delivered, despite the protests. Take Washington, D.C., for example, where cooperation between local authorities and the Federal Government is actually leading to a more secure environment. It’s almost as if listening to common sense rather than resisting every action—even those that put public safety first—can yield positive results. Strange how that works. It’s a critical lesson for any leader willing to learn, and maybe one Chicago could take to heart.
