CHICAGO — In case you missed it, on Tuesday night Mayor Brandon Johnson delivered a stark response to President Trump's State of the Union Address, joining Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and actor Robert De Niro to headline the "State of the Swamp" rebuttal event at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. Mayor Johnson blasted Trump for his devastating cuts to public education, healthcare, and food assistance while calling upon local leaders and ordinary Americans to join in the fight against Trump's tyranny.

"Donald Trump and his allies, they know where our true strength lies. Our strength is in our solidarity with one another," said Mayor Brandon Johnson during his address. "And despite what the President has said tonight, the strength of our Union does not trickle down from the top, it is built from the ground up. When we come together, the promise of America can be realized."

Watch Mayor Johnson's full speech at The State of The Swamp here.

"We need to stand together to ensure that we put an end to the mass deportations. We must put an end to and abolish ICE and say no to the dangerous escalations of the war against Black and brown people. And to demand that large corporations and the ultra-wealthy, they have to pay their fair share in taxes," Mayor Johnson continued.

Other elected officials attending the rebuttal event included Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, and Former Montana Senator John Tester.

Mayor Johnson and Mayor Frey outlined the collective response of local leaders and ordinary residents who've come together and push back against Trump's hyper-militarized immigration campaign which continues to terrorize our cities.

"We will not bow, we will not cower, we will not submit to the tyranny that is coming from the White House. Because tyranny is a virus and we cannot allow it to take root because Trump's war is a war on all of us," said Mayor Johnson. "Chicagoans are meeting this moment, pursuing any means necessary to protect our residents. since our fight began, I've said that if Congress will not hold Trump accountable, then Chicago will."

Yesterday afternoon, Mayor Johnson joined NBC News' Kristen Welker on Meet the Press Now to discuss his response and his alternate vision for building safe and affordable communities in the face of the flood of attacks the Trump administration has unleashed on working people across the country. View Mayor Johnson's interview on Meet the Press here.



Key excerpts from CBS2 Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks at "State of the Swamp," countering Trump's State of the Union

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• During his speech, Johnson criticized the president's address, saying his words were "ramblings" and "incoherent phrases."
• "All I can think about is, of course, is Chicago and the working people across America," he said.
• Johnson also touched on the hardships some people are facing following cuts by the Trump administration to healthcare and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
• "Instead of addressing the urgent problems of poverty and disinvestment, instead of restoring the funding he's cut from healthcare, and food assistance, instead of doing anything to address the cost of living crisis, the fact that the rent is too high and wages are far too low in this country, this president spoke of an America that does not exist for hundreds and millions of Americans across this country," Johnson said.

Cities Across the Nation Embrace Chicago's Blueprint for Fighting Trump:

In the months since Mayor Johnson first launched his Protecting Chicago initiative, other cities have implemented measures to rein in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, outlaw the use of municipal property for federal immigration operations, and devise pathways to accountability when federal agents break the law.

"Tonight, I'm calling on cities across America to join us in our fight for true accountability, to protect the soul of America, and to defeat the hate and division which has fueled Trump's mass deportation campaign," Mayor Johnson said during his remarks Tuesday. "Dr. King said that if we can build a movement in Chicago, we can do it anywhere in the world Well, we are doing it in Chicago. We are doing it in Minneapolis. We are doing it in Baltimore, Los Angeles. Detroit, Buffalo, Birmingham, Atlanta. This country will finally realize its true nature, justice for all."

Approximately 10% of the U.S. population, representing more than 30 municipalities, are now under executive orders or local laws modeled on Chicago's response to Trump's overreach.

Mayor Johnson made Chicago the first city in America to create the infrastructure to investigate illegal activity by federal immigration agents with his "ICE on Notice" executive order. In the weeks since, Boston and Seattle have both enacted similar models directing local law enforcement to collect and preserve evidence of federal misconduct.

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Earlier this month, Mayors Michelle Wu and Zohran Mamdani signed executive orders adding Boston and New York to the list of municipalities barring federal agents from using public property during enforcement operations.

They join a growing coalition of city and county governments which have instituted similar measures since Mayor Johnson signed his 'ICE-Free Zones' executive order last October.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, the Pasadena City Council, and the San Jose City Council have all taken action to protect their residents from the aggressive immigration enforcement tactics of the Trump administration.

At the county level, Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County, and Alameda County have adopted similar protections.

Across the Chicagoland area, many local governments have taken similar steps to protect residents. To date, Aurora (https://wgntv.com/news/operation-midway-blitz/aurora-prohibits-ice-enforcement-on-city-property/), Batavia (https://batavia5thward.blog/2025/11/12/batavia-passes-ordinance-restricting-the-use-of-city-property-for-civil-immigration-enforcement-ice/), Berwyn (https://www.facebook.com/BERWYNTOWNSHIP/posts/its-official-berwyn-township-and-public-health-district-is-now-an-ice-free-zoneo/1243567457813306/), Broadview (https://broadview-il.gov/reference/latest-news/village-of-broadview-executive-order-no-2025-02/), Carpentersville (https://wgntv.com/news/operation-midway-blitz/village-carpentersville-limits-ice/), Elgin (https://elginil.gov/2879/Immigration-Enforcement-Your-Rights-and), Evanston (https://cityofevanston.civicweb.net/document/431395/Resolution%2093-R-25,%20Prohibiting%20the%20Use%20of%20City.pdf?handle=EF661DA673504C1A8272EBFC992CDC84), North Chicago (https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2025/10/21/mayor-signs-order-banning-federal-agents-from-using-north-chicago-owned-property-denouncing-immigration-operations/), Oak Park (https://www.oakpark.com/2025/11/06/oak-park-board-unanimously-passes-ice-free-zone-ordinance/), Waukegan (https://www.waukeganil.gov/1184/Waukegan-City-Council-Unanimously-Ratifi), Wheeling (https://www.wheelingil.gov/2293/Immigration-Enforcement-Resolution), and Wilmette (https://www.therecordnorthshore.org/2025/11/13/wilmettes-approved-anti-ice-policies-aim-to-restrict-access-document-conduct-protect-laborers/) have all banned federal agents from their city-owned property—as have Cook County, Lake County, and Will County.

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