Trump’s enemies list is long, ever-changing, and not exclusive. Stand up against him or speak out in favor of democracy once, and you’ll find yourself name-dropped in the middle of a Trump rant next to the likes of Taylor Swift, Anthony Scaramucci, and Gov. Gavin Newsom. 

No one seems to be more regularly on his list than Gov. J.B. Pritzker. While it’s not unexpected for Trump to be at odds with a Democratic governor in a deep blue state, with Pritzker, it’s personal. Pritzker is everything Trump is not: a dedicated public servant, a hard worker, and generous with his vast wealth. 

As Trump sends troops into Chicago, his rage against Pritzker has hit a boiling point. Over the last week, the city has felt the weight of Trump’s tyrannical rule. ICE agents raided an apartment on the South Shore, zip-tying and detaining children — including United States citizens. In another incident, border patrol shot a woman and caused a multi-vehicle collision, according to witnesses. Agents are even targeting elementary schools. 

Unlike others, Pritzker isn’t hiding or staying silent. He is standing up and fighting — defying Trump’s order to send Illinois troops into his own city. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, has established “ICE-Free” zones to protect residents from the random, violent attacks. Trump is very unhappy. 

Ever the chronically online, brooding teenager, he took to social media to express his frustration: “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” 

It’s come to this: the president is threatening to jail a governor and a mayor for protecting their residents. As French journalist Françoise Giroud once noted, “This is how fascism begins. It never says its name; it crawls, it floats, and when it shows the tip of its nose, we say: Is it him? Do you think so? You mustn't exaggerate! And then one day, it gets in your face, and it's too late to get rid of it.”

It is not too late for democracy, but it is well past the time to speak out. If we want to fight back and save our country, we can’t be afraid to call Trump what he is – an authoritarian with a tilt toward fascism.

Threatening to jail your political enemies is fascist. Sending troops into cities is fascist. Arbitrarily arresting citizens and immigrants is fascist. If we’re too afraid to call the threat what it is, we will not be able to fight it.

And Trump wants us to be afraid, but more than that, he wants us to be comfortable and familiar with our fear. As I’ve written many times, his eyes are on the midterm elections. 

He wants us to be used to seeing troops on our way to the grocery store. He wants us to be familiar with ICE agents patrolling the playground as we pick our kids up from school. He wants us to be well-acquainted with the idea of checkpoints and ID stops and casual run-ins with Border Control — even if we’re far away from the closest U.S. border. 

Then, once November 2026 rolls around, we won’t ask any questions when those same agents are guarding our polling places. 

No one has been more outspoken on this critical point than Governor Pritzker: “He [Trump] wants to militarize major cities because he wants us to get used to the idea of troops on the streets. I believe he's gonna post people outside of polling places and if he needs to in order to control those elections, he'll assume control of the ballot boxes & count the votes himself.”

Trump may look incredibly stupid, but he’s not incredibly dumb. Every step is a calculated move toward controlling the 2026 midterms. And while we have our eyes on the gerrymandering fight — a massively important fight to be had, don’t get it twisted — he’s incorporating different types of voter suppression tactics on the ground. 

Let me explain: most of us think of voter suppression as ID laws or restricting vote-by-mail. But, oftentimes, voter intimidation is just as — if not more — effective. Think of the long lines, banning food and water, aggressively asking voters about their citizenship. Many of these tactics unfold in communities of color, and that’s no accident. 

I had Elie Mystal on my podcast a few months ago, and he told a story about his own experience voting. In his town, he said, “In a presidential primary, no line in the white part of town. In an off-year general election for county prosecutor, hour-long line in Mount Vernon, once you include all the Black people. This is not an accident. This is not a coincidence. This is by design of our voter system.” 

Now, imagine armed guards patrolling polling locations. Imagine ID checks at the door. Imagine troops breathing over your shoulder as you cast your ballot. 

Voter turnout may not entirely collapse, but in close elections, it doesn’t need to. Even a few thousand voters can swing an election and control of Congress. 

We will still have an election — but not one that is free and fair. 

In fascist America, nothing is simple or as it seems. When troops were sent to Washington, D.C., it wasn’t just about crime. It was about testing the waters for Chicago and Portland. Now, the troops in Chicago and Portland aren’t just about mass deportations. It’s about setting the stage for total military occupation. 

Trump will try to normalize this. He wants us to be complacent. He wants us to be too afraid to speak up until it’s too late. We cannot give him the satisfaction. We cannot become familiar with his authoritarian regime. If that’s our plan, we might as well hand over our democracy now. 

I don’t know about you, but I plan to follow Gov. Pritzker's lead. I plan to speak up, I plan to fight, and I plan to win. 

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