After President Donald Trump called for his imprisonment, Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker — one of Trump’s most outspoken critics — warned that the country is heading toward “full-blown authoritarianism.”

“Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” the President blasted early Wednesday morning, hours after the National Guard arrived in Illinois. Governor Pritzker opposes Trump deploying the troops, and has called it an “invasion.”

“Not yet 9 a.m. in IL,” NBC News senior political reporter Natasha Korecki wrote on X, “& the president has threatened to jail both the Gov and the Chicago mayor as the [National] Guard hits the streets after ICE/CBP clashed with Chicagoans, shooting one, after a Blackhawk helicopter landed on a South Side apartment building, arresting gang members but purportedly zip tying residents.”

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Trump’s social media missive is his “latest call for his political opponents to be punished as part of his retribution campaign against those who have attempted to hold him accountable or have challenged his political agent,” according to Democracy Docket.

Governor Pritzker responded to the President’s remarks in a series of social media messages.

Vowing to “not back down,” he warned, “Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”

He noted that the President’s “masked agents already are grabbing people off the street. Separating children from their parents. Creating fear. Taking people for ‘how they look.'”

“Making people feel they need to carry citizenship papers,” he charged. “Invading our state with military troops. Sending in war helicopters in the middle of the night. Arresting elected officials asking questions.”

And he called for everyone to “stand up and speak out.”

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) praised Governor Pritzker: “Can’t help but admire the strength and resolve JB is displaying throughout this ordeal. Clearly @GovPritzker was meant for this moment.”

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During Tuesday’s combative Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, a “defiant” Attorney General Pam Bondi hurled personal attacks at Democratic Senators, with at least one exchange resulting in a “heated shouting match.”

Several Democratic senators chastised the Attorney General for her actions at the Department of Justice, including Sen. Mazie Hirono, who accused Bondi of turning the DOJ into the “Department of Revenge and Corruption.”

“Rather than pursuing cases without fear or favor, this DOJ seeks to favor the president’s friends and instill fear in his alleged enemies,” the Hawaii Democratic Senator declared. “If you’re a friend of the president, this corrupt DOJ will bend over backwards to help you, just like it dropped the bribery investigation of Tom Homan.”

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“Like it’s considering paying money to January 6th rioters, and like it has put antitrust enforcement decisions in the hands of well-connected lobbyists. But if you’re on the wrong side of this president, you will face the wrath of DOJ, no matter what the facts, law, or justice support.”

Hirono noted that former Trump FBI director James Comey was “indicted days after the president’s social media directive.”

“Experienced career prosecutors are fired just because they were assigned to work on January 6 cases. Blue states are sued to get highly sensitive, private voter data, whereas red states are left alone. The double standard is clear, and the American people are waking up to the corruption and favoritism and the lawlessness of the DOJ,” the senator alleged.

Hirono also brought up President Trump’s social media post addressed to “Pam,” which many believe was supposed to be a private message to the Attorney General. In it, he called for the prosecution of his former FBI director.

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“We can’t delay any longer,” Trump wrote, “it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

Hirono asked, “Are you the Pam that the president was referring to?”

Bondi replied, “I’m sure I was.”

“So, it’s very clear to me,” Hirono added, “that when the president posted something like that, that he considers the DOJ to be his law firm, and you, his lawyer, and in fact, very shortly after the post, to you, Comey gets indicted.”

Hirono to Bondi: “It’s very clear to me that when the president posts something like that, that he considers the DOJ to be his law firm and you his lawyer.” pic.twitter.com/UYXOWeYeks

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 7, 2025

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The White House reportedly is exploring ways to bypass a federal law mandating government employees furloughed during a shutdown receive back pay once the government reopens. President Donald Trump appeared to suggest that he would not be paying some federal workers — not based on job type but on some other metric.

Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Tuesday asked the president, “Is it the White House’s position that furloughed workers should be paid for their back pay?”

“I would say it depends on who we’re talking about,” Trump replied.

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He then attempted to blame Democrats.

“I can tell you this, the Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy, but it really depends on who you’re talking about,” Trump said. “But for the most part, we’re gonna take care of our people.”

He did not explain who he meant by “our people.”

“There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way. Okay?” Trump added.

NBC News reported that a draft White House memo “clashes with a 2019 law that requires back pay for federal workers. The law, called the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, says all federal employees, whether furloughed or deemed essential and working without pay, must receive back pay after a shutdown ends.”

President Trump signed that legislation into law.

READ MORE: ‘The Ground Has Shifted’: Experts Warn After Trump’s ‘Gnat’ Speech to U.S. Navy

Critics blasted the president’s remarks.

The Steady State, a consortium of over 330 former national security officials, wrote that “the President of the United States [was] explaining how he will ‘take care’ of his people, and ‘take care’ of some others — the second ‘take care’ is Tony Soprano. This is how dictators take and hold power.”

Similarly, Sophia A. Nelson, an award-winning author and journalist, wrote: “This is how Tony Soprano talks. Not the President of the United States.”

NEW: President Trump tells me White House does not believe all furloughed federal workers are necessarily entitled to backpay during the shutdown:

TRUMP: “I would say it depends on who we’re talking about. I can tell you this. The Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk… pic.twitter.com/ZKsxHTbZ81

— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) October 7, 2025

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