President Donald Trump delivered a fiery response to a reporter on Thursday after being asked whether he was “trying to go to w*r with Chicago” following the circulation of a controversial meme.
The image, which spread rapidly online, depicted Chicago in flames with a caption that read: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The meme was a reference to Trump’s recent executive order restoring the Pentagon’s original name, the Department of War, replacing its modern title of Department of Defense.
As Trump departed the White House for the U.S. Open in New York City, NBC correspondent Yamiche Alcindor asked if the meme signaled a military-style approach toward the city’s crime issues.
“Are you threatening to go to war with Chicago?” Alcindor pressed.
