Confederate Chaos in Chicago

October 8 | By John Kass

Are we living in 1859?

I ask it that way because all you can see and hear from Chicago are chaos, anarchy, violence, leftist conspiracy theories and exhortations by Democrats to ruin, and murder federal officials enforcing the law. It’s getting worse by the day.

The residents of the Democrat fever swamp now scream across broadcast media that President Trump will end Democracy in a year. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to rely on information from the local left-leaning corporate legacy news media–Sun Times and Tribune–as violent leftist mobs backed by Democrat politicians continue attacking federal law enforcement officers across the country.

A leader of the Latin Kings Street gang was charged with ordering the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, whom Gov. JB Pritzker spent days defaming. Pritzker put a target on Bovino.  The Latin King leader Juan Espinoza Martinez is now under arrest. Is that insurrection?

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (6 percent approval rating) and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker continue to demonize federal law enforcement officers. And the Chicago Police Department shamed itself by telling officers to stand down rather than come to the aid of Immigration and Customs enforcement agents being swarmed by leftist mobs on the Southwest Side and nearby suburbs.

Johnson and Pritzker shamed themselves, but their constant screaming against ICE agents put pressure on police to turn their backs on ICE agents calling for help on Saturday. Their vehicle was rammed by rioters. They were surrounded by the angry crowd whipped to a frenzy by Pritzker and Johnson. They were abandoned by CPD. Many officers were disgusted and ashamed. Police Supt. Larry Snelling did himself and his department no favors by not speaking clearly as to who gave the order to abandon the ICE agents.

Was it the mayor?

I’ve been a reporter in Chicago for almost 50 years and I’ve never heard of Chicago police abandoning fellow Law Enforcement officers. It goes against everything I know about them. Shameful and disgusting are just words. This is more than words. There may not have been an order to stand down, but the order was clear: turn your cars around and leave it alone.

I listened to Dan Proft’s morning radio show, and heard Proft wanting to speak in support of Snelling. But the Superintendent was apparently lied to by his underlings, and they’re all dancing on Brandon Johnson’s strings.

It’s only about a 14 hour drive down to Ft. Sumter South Carolina where the Civil War began. Another conservative friend of mine called and I told him about the angle I was taking on this column. He told me not to write it that way, to avoid Ft. Sumter.

“Readers don’t read enough history,” he said. “They’ll get confused. Talking about the Civil War will confuse them.”

I understand. But I have faith that readers will put the jigsaw puzzle together. They must. It’s their country. And time to avoid what’s happening is quickly disappearing.

At a press conference on Monday, the comically illiterate buffoon Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, already famous for his battles with reality and his wild panic attacks continued painting his deranged Civil War fantasies.

This time the mayor claimed that “the extreme Right in this country refuse to accept the results of the Civil War. They have repeatedly called for a rematch.”

A rematch?

Republicans were opposed to slavery then, and it was the Democrat Party protecting slavery and slaughtering Americans in the hope of preserving it. And they fought to allow the racist KKK to spread fear in the South.

 

Johnson also issued executive orders of dubious legal merit, creating “ICE free” zones where federal law would not apply.

He boasted that “in the coming weeks, we will use this opportunity to build greater resistance.” He then accused Trump of escalating “a war in Chicago.”

ICE Free Zones where federal law—approved by Congress and signed by a living president—doesn’t apply?

For years now, Chicago Democrats—from Johnson and Gov. J.B. Pritzker have gone on and on, screaming, full of angry rage against federal forces enforcing federal immigration law. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson: “The right wing of this country wants a REMATCH of the Civil War… The President has declared war on the people of Chicago and people across America.”

Again I ask all Americans: Are we living in 1859?

Civil unrest and leftist political violence rage across the major cities in the country so much so, that the American mind can’t help but reach back to the Civil War years.

And there was the illiterate buffoon from Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson loudly seeking a rematch of the most violent conflict in American history.

The Democrats are still feeding the hungry assassination culture that took the life of Christian youth organizer Charlie Kirk just weeks ago.

And just days ago, I tried to focus your attention on the militant left in Chicago and the rules for radicals. The Democrats are in a corner screaming in panic about perhaps losing patrons Bill and Melinda Gates. And still, they spew partisan rage from Portland to Chicago to New York.

In Virginia for example, the Virginia Democrat candidate for state Attorney General is Jay Jones. In texts with a fellow legislator, Jones fantasized about killing a Republican political opponent, even killing the opponent’s children, and pissing on the graves.

This is the Democrat Party today. All rage all the time.

Yet the New York Times and the legacy corporate media have downplayed Jay Jones’ murderous fantasies because they agree with him.

Democrat leaders aren’t demanding he disqualify himself. They protect Jay Jones in the bosom of the assassination culture

Rather than avoid Jones, Democrats are doubling down, endorsing him. They think they can ride this one out with backing from the corrupt leftist corporate media. And so they must think Republicans are fools.

I’m sure the Confederate Democrats thought they could ride it all out back in the day. Then came Gettysburg. And the South never smiled.

 

(Copyright 2025  John Kass)

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About the author: John Kass spent decades as a political writer and news columnist in Chicago working at a major metropolitan newspaper. He is co-host of The Chicago Way podcast. And he just loves his “No Chumbolone” hat, because johnkassnews.com is a “No Chumbolone” Zone where you can always get a cup of common sense.

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Comments 50

  2. Well done column as always. I do fear a second civil war. The deranged on the left want an “anything goes” country (as long as they are getting oodles of federal monies to line their pockets. ) the majority in middle America (flyover country) are sick and tired. The left gaslights facts and accuse the republicans of just what they did for years. Using prosecutions to target the opposition. They covered up for an incompetent president. 250 FBI agent moles at January 6. But people I consider intelligent hate Trump. What do they want, chaos? He is doing his best to get this country on track. Thank you for your columns and podcast. Some sanity in the lefts world of the absurd.

    2. If the mayor of Chicago wants to draw Civil War analogies, someone needs to inform him of the fact that he has more in common with John C. Calhoun than with Abe Lincoln. His refusal to allow the enforcement of federal law in his jurisdiction is essentially the same as the Nullification Crisis of 1832 in my home state of South Carolina. Calhoun honestly believed in the compact theory of the Constitution which he felt justified South Carolina’s disregard for federal laws with which they disagreed. I’m guessing that the mayor of Chicago never even heard of that theory.

  3. Thanks, Kass. Nailed it.

    In rural areas, I hear people who don’t understand cities (especially Chicago) talking about how the fat man and Johnson have the right to “keep feds out,” and warning of martial law.

    They totally overlook the rabble rousing from higher ups.

    And my God, help us! I moved out of that cesspool ages ago, but I was appalled and yeah, a little embarrassed, to see that CPD turned their backs on fellow LEOs.

    I am frequently in mind Prospero’s line from Shakespeare’s The Tempest: “‘Hell is empty
    And all the devils are here.'”

  4. Honestly, I cannot believe that this is the city in which I was raised. The Real Mayor Daley is spinning in his grave, I’m sure. Thank you for speaking clarity in a muddled world.

  5. Thank you John for another great column. The Democratic party has changed for the worse since Obama. I pray President Trump and his Secretaries, ICE, and the National Guard bring our Country (and Chicago) back.

  7. “Say his name, show his photo” CPD Chief of Patrol John Hein was the one who issued the “abandonment” orders of under assault ICE agents. Following the chain of command, it was most likely CPD Supt. Larry Snelling who commanded Hein to cowardly and niggardly back down. Going up the chain of command of genuine insurrectionists lies Mayor BJ and ultimately “Big Boy.”
    Time we put our big boy pants on and take back our Republic.

    1. The chief of patrol is a moral coward and a pathetic excuse for a cop…..
      As a chgo cop for 31 yrs I responded to all calls for help,no matter who needed that help
      Snelling you demote the chief of patrol and fire him
      Pathetic and sad day for cpd

  8. This certainly paints an accurate and pitiful picture under the watch of 2 (probably 3 -I’m sure Preckwinkle being involved) pitiful humans (? Human, I’m beginning to question that). It’s outrageous ordering police to ignore crime and unrest as it occurs.

    There is a side of me that Trump should say, screw it, these morons don’t deserve Federal help. With that he should also hold every dime of federal money into these areas where politicians promote this crap. When it all goes to hell, he has every right to say, “screw you, you didn’t want my help…remember?” And before we speak of the “poor innocent people in the middle of it all”, remember they voted for this. Maybe someday they’ll figure out that maybe they screwed up. New York City is about to find that out the hard way. When the hell are people gonna wake up and stop electing this scum ? They’ll have their chance by refusing to re-elect the Doughboy. He shouldn’t even win a primary.

  10. Kass has valid faith in the intelligence of his readers and the stupidity of Chicago Democrats. This insightful column made me recall the famous line from a Faulkner novel: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

    Recall that the 21 Democrat Senators who almost defeated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 included Al Gore’s father.

    Recall that “Dixie” was played at every Democratic National Convention through 1948.

    Recall the Confederate sympathies portrayed in “Gone With The Wind,” where Big Sam picks up a shovel and tells Scarlett, “Your ma says the Confederacy needs us. So we’s gonna dig for the South.” That era might have been 150 years before Brandon Johnson learned to dig the Chicago machine, but it’s not even past.

  12. Of course I must chime in, because Kasso is correct – no one knows enough about our recent history to comment or draw any kind of parallel, as this letter demonstrates. If we did, we would see nothing but good news here as we are in the Civil War again, we are relitigating it – Our pathetic Mayor is correct, but not for the reasons he presumes. The Democrat is the radical, the MAGA Republican – conservative, and as we were then, correct. And we will win this time, because our betters straight from Boston, are finally falling entirely apart. This is fun to watch, I mean really fun.

    The Civil War, like ALL War, settled nothing. When you reduce things this way do you realize who you take a knee to. Of course you don’t. But maybe Churchill will come to you and your readers’ aid.

    “Of Lee, Churchill heralded him as “one of the noblest Americans who ever lived, and one of the greatest captains known to the annals of war.” Of Jackson, “Lee’s famous comrade in arms,” Churchill remarked, “He might have stepped into American history from the command of one of Cromwell’s regiments”—high praise from an Englishman. Of the “comradeship” between Lee and Jackson, Churchill compared it to that of the Duke of Marlborough and the Prince of Savoy—high praise considering that the former was Churchill’s noble ancestor and Churchill his biographer.”

    And

    In his magisterial History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Churchill was sympathetic to the South in the American Civil War, and in his creative counter-factual history, “If Lee Had Not Won the Battle of Gettysburg,” he speculated that if the South had won the war, slavery would have been abolished and reunification achieved in a reasonable amount of time.

    As always, at your service and thank you for letting me post

    https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/half-the-truth-is-often-a-great-lie/

      1. Yes, such a terrible country. Greatly mitigated the horrific caste system in India that bestowed unspeakable crimes. Educated 10 of millions of Indians, such that when they peacefully let them go after World War II, they were well positioned to be the economic powerhouse they are today. – including the virtual takeover of our own IT industry.

      2. There’s a place for you, Rudd, in the UK now ruled tyrannically by the Labour Party (that still vilifies Churchill). Just don’t express any misgivings about Sharia Law or the slow death of British culture. You would then face the legal consequences that conservatives faced during your beloved Biden Handlers administration.

        1. Good point. But in the US, even under the senile ole Biden administration, those who expressed “opposing” views may have lost jobs but were not jailed (as far as I am aware). But in the UK today, opposing views can actually land you in jail – no First amendment there. So given their daily Palestine protests, love of Sharia, coverup of the mass rapes of young girls by Pakistani immigrants, he could join millions of fellow Churchill haters. Sounds like it’s Dr. Rudd’s cup of tea.

      3. Oh, “Birth of the Nation” Woodrew Wilson was pure of heart, and oh, Japanese-American internment camp President FDR had no blood on his hands, if your looking for pure of
        hearts you will find none, at least fortuitously the British Bulldog Winnie is the reason we are not speaking German today and not goose stepping to our graves.

      4. Right, Thomas. It would have been so much better if Hitler won. You know. For someone so intelligent, sometimes you really are a blubbering, gas bagging idiot.

        1. Spot on Dr. Bruce. But you will never convince Thomas. Like everyone from his side he is forever gone.
          Do you remember identity thief, Tony Cesare? We was a complete libtard. Thank goodness he’s gone forever.

  13. The parallels are unmistakeable.
    “Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.”
    If we cannot have honest, uncorrupted elections. If we, again, must have sectional violence from those who won’t accept the popular will expressed in a national election. If again the bullet has followed the ballot. Then our country is broken, and it is imperative we fix it while the chance remains.

  15. Yianni,
    Actually, mayor Pannix, apparently a product of the Chicago public school system, needs a refresher course in history, but never mind the perspective that history provides. Like many readers that have posted here, I fear we’re already fighting a civil war. It’s unfolding before our eyes, as leftists/socialists defy federal law as they opt to interfere with the arrests of criminals and/or illegals – not only here in Chicago, but across the country in virtually all dem run cities. The sanity of this is totally incomprehensible to me, but being brought up in a Greek home, with immigrant parents that insisted on our own accountability, I can only assume these leftists have been infected by the TDS that permeates their very core – blinded by this hatred, which triggered a long forgotten civil war. I pray I’m wrong…

  16. Yes, the Democrat Party, the party of slavery. I live in the Free State of Texas where we have NO such incidents as in Chicago. I was recently in town and tried to explain the to family. There are NO violent anti government demonstrations here, despite its large Hispanic, mostly of Mexican American decent. NO waving of Mexican or other countries flags here. When I visited family as a kid they would get offended if you referred to them as ” Mexican “. Many here are third or fourth generation American and refer to themselves as such. Many have family in the military or law enforcement and are proud of this. Most here support the efforts of this government to get the illegals out and also the efforts of ICE and the Border Patrol. We have a healthy Republican Party here unlike Illinois. Strangely enough you don’t seem to see these violent demonstrations in Red States like Florida or The Dakotas. Funny how the crap seems to pile up in states like California and Illinois isn’t it?

  17. Great column. I, too, don’t understand the hatred of some of my intelligent friends who think Trump is one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I moved out of the city after 65 years of living there and serving in the police department. I am embarrassed, by the order given, but we were taught the chain of command. We might not have liked it and a few may have disobeyed it, but now they would be fired for this disobedience.

    I hope that people actually vote in the next election and the two real Horseman of the Apocalypse get voted out.

  18. Years before she lost her way, Peggy Noonan, in the Wall Street Journal discussed how the country was ripping itself apart, and there would once again be much time and energy needed to hold the country together just like in the Civil War times.
    And here we are

  19. What I see goes back even further than the Civil War. I see mayor Panic Attacks and Governor Jelly Belly fiddling while Chicago burns. Their only action has been to block the fire fighters and fan the flames.

  20. Pay attention people. From Virginia to Illinois the Democratic politicians are telling us exactly who they are…they are haters and they not only preach but foment violence. Believe them… hey don’t have a middle ground.

  21. A Brandon “Let’s go Brandon” Johnson’s executive order establishing an “Ice Free” Zone in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Chicago is as meaningful as Chicago and Illinois establishing themselves as a “Sanctuary” city and state respectively. Both have no effect on federal immigration law, passed by Congress representing all of the people of the United States, and ICE can continue enforcement in Chicago and Illinois under the Supremacy Clause if a conflict occurs. However, as a consolation, I would like to sell Mayor Johnson 10,000 tons of “Ice Melt” to keep the Ice Free Zones in Chicago truly ice free this winter.

  22. Mayor Panic declaring Ice Free Zones – really? Next he’ll declare FBI Free Zones and US Marshall Free Zones! Maybe even Texas National Guard free zones! I have said it and repeat it, they and Progressive leadership are all about driving emotional, limbic brain response vs rational thought. Spannburger in Virginia encouraging “rage” is just another example. “Declaring War on Trump is declaring War on the elected government. Unlike the civil war, the Blue states cannot resort to military efforts, just Antifa type guerrilla war and assassination culture to drive fear, and so those on the extreme of the Progressive party are heading towards a real insurrection, trying to force overreaction from Trump’s Administration to sway public opinion. Problem is, 70% of the people aren’t buying what they’re selling across the country! These are the thrashings of a slowly dying movement, dying in the face of rationale thinking & common sense that still exists in sufficient amounts in the US population despite all the progressive education efforts by teachers unions and Progressive driven university professors.

  23. First of all,I live in the South,first in South Carolina then North C. and now Floriduh with all the other transplants from New Jersey and even a few from the Loop. Floriduh is now a red state proud of its weirdos and not just the politicians so I relate to Chicago despair about the current Mayor or the past one Lori Lighthead. But,this is not about Civil War via Fox News egging it all on for ratings,etc. This is what happens when Joe Biden turned his back on Texas border immigration mess and preferred to send lawyers to tell Governor Abbott he was not being fair. So,the Democrats deserved to lose to Trump,given the out of touch duo of Biden-Harris. But Trump who is short more than a few braincells can’t fix it by pardoning the Jan.6 rioters at the Capitol or sending National Guard troops to go after gang members or whoever. Or for Oprah to ask if we can just get along. Your Mayor needs to quickly realize how wrong he is if he wants any respect for reelection.And the Pritzker family and Senator Durbin need to apologize for hurting Chicago Police for too long in limiting their ability to go after gangs,drug dealers or the idiot owner of the White Sox!

  26. I served as a law enforcement officers for 41 years. Thirty of those years were with the Chicago Police Department. During my time as a police officer, I never ever heard of a supervisor giving orders over the radio telling officers not to respond to an assistance call from a fellow law enforcement officer. That widely publicized order in the media has brought shame and disgrace to the Chicago Police Department and its members on a nationwide level. My fellow retired officers are more than outraged by what occurred and lament that current officers in CPD are now being held in contempt by their peers.

    The Mayor and Governor have declared open war on all law enforcement officers and not just ICE officers. The policies and legislation initiated by city and state politicians have put police officers in an untenable position. The CPD officers integrity and oath of office is being compromised by illegal orders from politicians and their minions in leadership positions of the CPD.

  27. Civil War incited by Illinois Democrats in the Land of Lincoln?! It’s high time President Trump goes on National TV from the White House to address the nation, declare war against the militants and take the mayor and the governor into custody.

  29. Dems have lost their figurative frontal lobe, the snug cuddly security blanket they always took for granted, which was the apathy of a majority of the population which has really kept them in if not high regard, at least an acceptable alternative to the evil republicans. A majority force that dissolved this protective mass delusion was the rise of alternative media and most recently the fall of twitter/rise of x. Seems like they are control freaks in the midst of realizing they’ve lost all control of the narrative and are flailing bigly…

  30. Now let’s be honest. If Trump REALLY wants to hurt these cities and states resisting and impeding ICE all he would need to do is enforce federal marijuana laws. That’s right. Marijuana is still illegal to sell, the government just chooses to look the other way rather than enforce the federal laws on the books. Shut down these so called “dispensaries”, ( I guess if you sell weed out of your apartment you operate an “independent dispensary”) seize all of their assets and charge accordingly. Democrat states would lose BILLIONS of dollars of revenue they need to keep their shaky economies afloat. Why wouldn’t Trump do this? There are many Republican donors who have money tied up in these businesses and they have the ear of the Republican party. As well as his own…

  32. There is a precedent.

    For a Republican President sending troops to enforce Federal law in Democrat states.

    But Democrats really don’t want us to bring that up. It’s too embarrassing. Reminds them of their “Racist Roots”.

    President Eisenhower had to send the 101st Airborne in, to confront Democrat Governor George Wallace to enforce newly passed integration laws. With fixed bayonets they controlled the angry crowd and escorted a young black girl to her new school. Right last the fuming Governor.

    Seems like Democrats not only have short memories, but can’t learn from their failures either.

  35. I fly up and down the east coast a few times every week, and for the last year each time passing Charleston I think of Fort Sumter, the cradle of the Confederacy and wonder how close we could be to a sequel.
    It doesn’t seem like there is a way to bridge the divide anymore- too many scars over the last decade and we are all digging our heels in.
    Very happy our president is tackling the problems at the root this time around.

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