Donald Trump and the White House have been accused of lying to the American public after being caught shamelessly passing off old clips of ICE raids in Florida in a video about “chaos” in Chicago.
On Wednesday, as Trump prepares to deploy the National Guard into Illinois, the White House posted a high-octane video to its official X account showing masked and armed goons kicking down doors and making arrests.
“An incompetent Mayor,” the White House captioned the post. “A delusional Governor. Chicago is in chaos, and the American people are paying the price. Chicago doesn’t need political spin—it needs HELP.”
The clip includes a voiceover from Trump himself calling Chicago a “mess” and attacking local Democratic leaders. The video shows Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker alongside the words: “ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIENS, CARTELS, AND GANGS ARE POISONING OUR KIDS.”
The president was clearly so pleased with the video that he posted it onto his own Truth Social account.
However, the Daily Beast can reveal that much of the footage was actually filmed in April in Florida, the state home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence—with a big giveaway being that it features palm trees, which are not known to grow in Chicago.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) B-roll of Operation Tidal Wave—which it described in May as the “largest joint immigration operation in Florida history,” and which it said had “led to 1,120 criminal alien arrests”—can be freely viewed online by the public.
Pritzker’s team slammed the administration’s apparent deception.
The governor’s spokesman, Matt Hill, told the Daily Beast: “We are proud that Chicago was just ranked the best big city in the United States. We are proud of its beautiful beaches, booming businesses, and decent people. However, we cannot claim credit for many palm trees here.”
Accusing the Trump administration of lying to the American public, Hill added: “We know the lies don’t just come out of their mouth.
“So it’s not surprising that the Trump team spends more time producing videos purporting images of Florida as Illinois—rather than spending any time to lower prices or protect healthcare for hardworking Americans.”
Trump has set Chicago in his sights for a National Guard deployment tied to his broader immigration-and-crime offensive, escalating with public threats and saying that Pritzker and Johnson “should be in jail.” Pritzker shot back: “Come and get me.”
Illinois sued to block the deployment of federalized National Guard troops in Chicago, as well as the importation of out-of-state troops, arguing that the move violates the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.
The complaint, filed by the Illinois attorney general on Monday, calls Trump’s campaign an “unlawful and dangerous… ‘war’” on the state and challenges both a federalization order and a Texas mobilization sending several hundred soldiers into Chicago. A federal judge declined to grant an immediate block, setting up expedited arguments.
The legal landscape remains unclear. Last month, a federal judge ruled unlwaful Trump’s earlier Guard use in Los Angeles because it pushed soldiers into domestic policing, a ruling Illinois cites as persuasive authority.
Trump’s team counters that he can invoke the Insurrection Act if courts or state officials “hold us up,” a threat he has aired while mulling similar action in Portland.
Pritzker has framed the standoff as an “authoritarian” overreach and a “reality game show”-style takeover, vowing to fight it in court and warning that troops won’t fix public safety.
In return, Trump has taunted him online and at events, comparing Chicago to a war zone and accusing Democratic leaders of tying the administration’s hands—rhetoric that has further inflamed the clash.
With a hearing on Illinois’ bid for an injunction pending, the White House insists the Guard is needed to “protect federal officers and assets.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and DHS for comment.
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