Former Trump official ‘Anonymous’ warns troops in cities are ‘false flag’
Filip Timotija
THE HILL
Former Trump official ‘Anonymous’ warns troops in cities are ‘false flag’
A former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official who wrote under the pseudonym “Anonymous” claimed that the Trump administration’s deployment of troops to U.S. cities is a “false flag” operation meant to provide a rationale for ”harsh crackdowns.”
“I co-wrote Trump’s first anti-terrorism plan in 2017-18. He’s not trying to stop ‘left-wing’ terrorism. He is staging it,” Miles Taylor, a vocal Trump critic who served as a deputy chief of staff at DHS during the president’s first term, said in a Tuesday morning post on social platform X.
“His troop deployments are a false flag — meant to provoke a response in order to justify harsh crackdowns,” Taylor added.
“This is now very obvious.”
In recent months, Trump has authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to multiple Democratic-led states, including California, Oregon and Illinois. Governors of those states have pushed back on the effort. The president has also greenlighted the deployment of National Guard members to Washington, D.C.
On Sunday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from sending National Guard troops to Oregon. Chicago and Illinois sued on Monday to block the administration from deploying the National Guard to the Windy City.
Trump floated on Monday that he was considering invoking the Insurrection Act to justify the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, Ore.. The president called the situation in Portland an “insurrection.”
“Portland is on fire. Portland’s been on fire for years,” Trump said.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to answer a question about if she had talks with Trump about legal justification for deploying National Guard troops to U.S. cities.
“I am not going to discuss any internal conversations with the White House,” she told Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
JB Pritzker Warns Rachel Maddow Trump Wants Americans to ‘Get Used to the Idea’ of Military Troops on Their Streets | Video
Taylor wrote a New York Times op-ed and later a book under the pseudonym “Anonymous” about how some officials worked to thwart Trump’s impulses during his first term.
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Trump calls for jailing Democratic leaders as troops prepare for Chicago deployment
By Brendan O'Brien, Susan Heavey and Andy Sullivan
Wed, October 8, 2025
By Brendan O'Brien, Susan Heavey and Andy Sullivan
Wed, October 8, 2025
REUTERS
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker talks with NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep during a visit to the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen, days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence in the city along with stepped-up immigration enforcement actions carried out by the Department of Homeland Security, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Octavio JonesMore
By Brendan O'Brien, Susan Heavey and Andy Sullivan
CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for jailing Chicago's mayor and the governor of Illinois, both Democrats, as his administration prepared to deploy military troops to the streets of the third-largest U.S. city.
Trump's call to imprison two prominent opponents of his immigration crackdown comes as another high-profile political rival, former FBI Director James Comey, was due to appear in court to face criminal charges that have been widely criticized as flimsy.
Trump has frequently called for jailing his opponents since he first entered politics in 2015, but Comey is the first to face prosecution.
On his social media platform, Trump accused Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker of failing to protect immigration officers who have been operating in Chicago.
"Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!" Trump wrote, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
Johnson and Pritzker could not be immediately reached for comment.
Hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers have gathered at an Army facility outside Chicago, over the objections of Pritzker, Johnson and other Democratic leaders in the state. Trump has threatened to deploy troops to more U.S. cities, which he said last week could serve as "training grounds" for the armed forces.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found most Americans oppose the deployment of troops without an external threat.
Trump has ordered Guard troops to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, following his earlier deployments to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. In each case, he has defied staunch opposition from Democratic mayors and governors, who say Trump's claims of lawlessness and violence do not reflect reality.
"My goal is very simple. STOP CRIME IN AMERICA!" he wrote on his social media platform.
Violent crime has been falling in many U.S. cities since a COVID-era spike, and National Guard troops have so far been largely used to protect federal facilities, not fight street crime.
Protests over Trump's immigration policies in Chicago and Portland had been largely peaceful and limited in size, according to local officials, far from the conditions described by Trump administration officials.
"What we have going on right now is literally domestic terrorism in Chicago," Todd Blanche, the No. 2 Justice Department official, said on Fox News.
Pritzker has accused Trump of trying to foment violence to justify further militarization, and his state has sued to stop the deployment. A federal judge on Monday permitted the deployment to proceed for the time being. Another federal judge has blocked the deployment to Portland.
Trump has threatened to invoke an anti-insurrection law to sidestep any court orders blocking him, which was last invoked during the Los Angeles riots of 1992.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, and Susan Heavey and Katharine Jackson in Washington; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Frank McGurty)
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker talks with NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep during a visit to the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen, days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence in the city along with stepped-up immigration enforcement actions carried out by the Department of Homeland Security, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Octavio JonesMore
By Brendan O'Brien, Susan Heavey and Andy Sullivan
CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for jailing Chicago's mayor and the governor of Illinois, both Democrats, as his administration prepared to deploy military troops to the streets of the third-largest U.S. city.
Trump's call to imprison two prominent opponents of his immigration crackdown comes as another high-profile political rival, former FBI Director James Comey, was due to appear in court to face criminal charges that have been widely criticized as flimsy.
Trump has frequently called for jailing his opponents since he first entered politics in 2015, but Comey is the first to face prosecution.
On his social media platform, Trump accused Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker of failing to protect immigration officers who have been operating in Chicago.
"Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!" Trump wrote, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
Johnson and Pritzker could not be immediately reached for comment.
Hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers have gathered at an Army facility outside Chicago, over the objections of Pritzker, Johnson and other Democratic leaders in the state. Trump has threatened to deploy troops to more U.S. cities, which he said last week could serve as "training grounds" for the armed forces.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found most Americans oppose the deployment of troops without an external threat.
Trump has ordered Guard troops to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, following his earlier deployments to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. In each case, he has defied staunch opposition from Democratic mayors and governors, who say Trump's claims of lawlessness and violence do not reflect reality.
"My goal is very simple. STOP CRIME IN AMERICA!" he wrote on his social media platform.
Violent crime has been falling in many U.S. cities since a COVID-era spike, and National Guard troops have so far been largely used to protect federal facilities, not fight street crime.
Protests over Trump's immigration policies in Chicago and Portland had been largely peaceful and limited in size, according to local officials, far from the conditions described by Trump administration officials.
"What we have going on right now is literally domestic terrorism in Chicago," Todd Blanche, the No. 2 Justice Department official, said on Fox News.
Pritzker has accused Trump of trying to foment violence to justify further militarization, and his state has sued to stop the deployment. A federal judge on Monday permitted the deployment to proceed for the time being. Another federal judge has blocked the deployment to Portland.
Trump has threatened to invoke an anti-insurrection law to sidestep any court orders blocking him, which was last invoked during the Los Angeles riots of 1992.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, and Susan Heavey and Katharine Jackson in Washington; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Frank McGurty)
Clash intensifies over Trump’s troop deployments
Jared Gans
Tue, October 7, 2025
Clash intensifies over Trump’s troop deployments
President Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in an increasing number of U.S. cities is drawing intense backlash as Democrats turn to the courts to try to stop him.
National Guard troops from Texas are headed to Illinois after a federal judge on Monday declined to immediately issue a restraining order against the deployment. The judge, an appointee of former President Biden, set a hearing for Thursday.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) has vowed to fight the deployment, which he likens to an “invasion,” and the state of Illinois and city of Chicago ripped Trump’s move in their lawsuit filed Monday.
“The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor,” the complaint reads.
While the administration is allowed to move ahead for now in Chicago, efforts to deploy 200 troops to Portland, Ore., were blocked by another federal judge over the weekend. That judge, a Trump appointee, called the U.S. a “nation of constitutional law, not martial law.”
“The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts,” U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut wrote in her ruling Saturday.
Trump responded to the ruling by seeking to send the California National Guard into Portland, enraging California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Immergut then granted California, Oregon and Portland’s request for a temporary restraining order to block that deployment.
Democratic officials have been adamant about pushing back against the president’s moves and using every lever at their disposal to resist.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) signed an executive order Monday barring federal immigration authorities from using city property in their operations, declaring the city an “ICE-free zone.”
“This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power,” Newsom said in a release. “The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens. We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States.”
Trump has also made clear he won’t back down.
The president has regularly lambasted Chicago as the “worst and most dangerous” city in the world and has signaled for months the city is a top target for his push to crack down on crime.
The president on Monday also argued the situation in Portland amounted to an “insurrection,” telling reporters he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act if necessary.
“Portland is on fire. Portland’s been on fire for years,” Trump said. “And not so much saving it. We have to save something else. Because I think that’s all insurrection. I really think that’s really criminal insurrection.”
Last week, the commander-in-chief told hundreds of generals and admirals at the Pentagon’s meeting at Quantico, Va., that “dangerous” U.S. cities should be used as “training grounds” for the military.
The flurry of deployments and lawsuits are expected to only increase and follow similar moves to deploy troops to Memphis and Washington, D.C., the latter of which also sparked a legal challenge from local leaders.
Trump has leaned into the battles with Democratic leaders as polls show combatting crime to be among his strongest areas for his approval rating.
The faceoffs have also given more attention to Pritzker and Newsom, both of whom are viewed as likely 2028 presidential candidates.
Jared Gans
Tue, October 7, 2025
Clash intensifies over Trump’s troop deployments
President Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in an increasing number of U.S. cities is drawing intense backlash as Democrats turn to the courts to try to stop him.
National Guard troops from Texas are headed to Illinois after a federal judge on Monday declined to immediately issue a restraining order against the deployment. The judge, an appointee of former President Biden, set a hearing for Thursday.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) has vowed to fight the deployment, which he likens to an “invasion,” and the state of Illinois and city of Chicago ripped Trump’s move in their lawsuit filed Monday.
“The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor,” the complaint reads.
While the administration is allowed to move ahead for now in Chicago, efforts to deploy 200 troops to Portland, Ore., were blocked by another federal judge over the weekend. That judge, a Trump appointee, called the U.S. a “nation of constitutional law, not martial law.”
“The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts,” U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut wrote in her ruling Saturday.
Trump responded to the ruling by seeking to send the California National Guard into Portland, enraging California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Immergut then granted California, Oregon and Portland’s request for a temporary restraining order to block that deployment.
Democratic officials have been adamant about pushing back against the president’s moves and using every lever at their disposal to resist.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) signed an executive order Monday barring federal immigration authorities from using city property in their operations, declaring the city an “ICE-free zone.”
“This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power,” Newsom said in a release. “The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens. We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States.”
Trump has also made clear he won’t back down.
The president has regularly lambasted Chicago as the “worst and most dangerous” city in the world and has signaled for months the city is a top target for his push to crack down on crime.
The president on Monday also argued the situation in Portland amounted to an “insurrection,” telling reporters he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act if necessary.
“Portland is on fire. Portland’s been on fire for years,” Trump said. “And not so much saving it. We have to save something else. Because I think that’s all insurrection. I really think that’s really criminal insurrection.”
Last week, the commander-in-chief told hundreds of generals and admirals at the Pentagon’s meeting at Quantico, Va., that “dangerous” U.S. cities should be used as “training grounds” for the military.
The flurry of deployments and lawsuits are expected to only increase and follow similar moves to deploy troops to Memphis and Washington, D.C., the latter of which also sparked a legal challenge from local leaders.
Trump has leaned into the battles with Democratic leaders as polls show combatting crime to be among his strongest areas for his approval rating.
The faceoffs have also given more attention to Pritzker and Newsom, both of whom are viewed as likely 2028 presidential candidates.
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