Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said on Wednesday that Donald Trump is showing signs of dementia and should be removed from office under the 25th Amendment.
Pritzker spoke after Trump’s speech in Virginia to about 800 senior military officers. In that speech, Trump warned of an “invasion from within” and suggested that U.S. cities, including Chicago, should be used as “training grounds” for American troops. The audience stayed mostly silent.
In his response video, Pritzker said, “It appears that Donald Trump not only has dementia set in, but he’s copying tactics of Vladimir Putin.”
Talking about Trump’s idea of turning cities into training grounds, he added, “Sending troops into cities, thinking that that is some sort of proving ground for war, or that indeed there is some sort of internal war going on in the United States is just, frankly, inane and I am concerned for his health. There is something genuinely wrong with this man, and the 25th Amendment ought to be invoked.”
Gov. Pritzker says Trump has dementia and should be removed from office pic.twitter.com/ILp9PHNtXC
— Molly Ploofkins (@Mollyploofkins) October 1, 2025
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The 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967 to deal with a president who cannot carry out the duties of the office. It lets the vice president and most of the cabinet declare the president unfit. If the president objects, Congress decides. It has never been used to remove a president, but the fact that a sitting governor is calling for it shows how serious the situation looks to many.
Trump’s Virginia speech raised fresh doubts about his thinking. Civil liberties groups said using the military in U.S. cities crosses a line that keeps civilian life separate from military power. They warned that calling cities “training grounds” makes it easier to justify sending troops against citizens.
Republican leaders defended Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Trump’s words were taken out of context and that he was only speaking about readiness and law enforcement, not real military operations in cities.
Pritzker said the problem is not just policy but the president’s state of mind. Treating American cities as battlegrounds is not normal judgment for any leader.
Some Democrats compared Trump’s language to the tactics of authoritarian rulers who use the military to intimidate civilians. They warned that describing cities as threats and soldiers as the answer risks weakening the democratic limits on presidential power.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Declaring war on our nation’s cities and using our troops as political pawns is what dictators do. This man cares about nothing but his own ego and power.”
Featured image via X screengrab
