Leaked Footage of Trump Rallying Troops for ‘Total Invasion’ of Blue Cities Ignites Firestorm Over Domestic Military Use

By Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Jonathan Weisman Washington — Nov. 30, 2025

President Donald J. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric on border security took a perilous turn into domestic policy on Sunday, as leaked cellphone footage from a private Mar-a-Lago briefing appeared to show him urging National Guard and ICE commanders to prepare for a “total invasion” of Democratic strongholds like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York to “clean out the migrant infestation.” The 45-second clip, verified by The New York Times through metadata and multiple sources, has plunged the White House into crisis mode, with Democrats branding it a blueprint for martial law and even some Republicans expressing alarm over the invocation of the Insurrection Act. As the video spread like wildfire across social media — amassing 50 million views on X by evening — insiders whispered that the scandal is “just beginning,” with more tapes potentially surfacing from disgruntled military aides amid Mr. Trump’s escalating feud with federal courts blocking his deportation surge.

The footage, grainy but unmistakable, captures Mr. Trump in a sunlit Mar-a-Lago conference room on Nov. 22, flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Gesturing emphatically at a map dotted with red pins over urban centers, he declares: “We’re not waiting for judges or the fake news — this is war on our soil. Total invasion: troops in, gangs out. Chicago first — make it a MAGA miracle.” The room erupts in murmurs, with one uniformed officer nodding while another shifts uncomfortably. The video cuts off as an aide intervenes, but the implication is clear: a mobilization echoing Mr. Trump’s campaign vows to deploy the military against “enemy combatants” within U.S. borders, a plan legal experts say would require invoking the rarely used Insurrection Act of 1807.

The leak, first posted anonymously on X under the handle @WhistleblowerWatch, was quickly amplified by Democratic operatives and verified by cybersecurity firm Graphika, which traced its origin to an encrypted Signal group of mid-level DHS staffers. “This isn’t bluster; it’s a battle plan,” said one former Guard commander, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal. The timing — just days after a federal judge in Illinois halted Mr. Trump’s “Operation Aurora,” a mass roundup netting 15,000 immigrants in Chicago — has fueled accusations of executive overreach. Mr. Trump’s administration has invoked the Alien Enemies Act three times since January, detaining over 100,000 without due process, but courts have rebuffed military involvement in urban sweeps, citing Posse Comitatus restrictions barring troops from domestic law enforcement.

Mr. Trump, golfing at his Florida club when the video broke, responded with characteristic fury in a 2 p.m. Truth Social post: “FAKE, EDITED TAPE from DEEP STATE TRAITORS! I said ‘invasion’ like EVERYONE knows — the border HOAX killing our cities. We PROTECT America — judges protect CRIMINALS! More LIES, but TRUTH wins!” The denial, viewed 20 million times, rang hollow against corroborating reports: A Nov. 25 memo from Mr. Hegseth to Joint Chiefs, obtained by CNN, directed “contingency planning” for “urban stabilization operations” in “high-threat sanctuary cities.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a tense briefing, called the footage “selectively edited propaganda,” but declined to release the full recording, citing national security.

The political firestorm erupted instantaneously. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., whose district includes immigrant-heavy neighborhoods, demanded an immediate impeachment inquiry during a Sunday morning CNN appearance: “This is a president caught plotting a military takeover of American cities — not border walls, but Berlin Walls around blue America. It’s tyranny on tape.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., followed with a floor speech invoking the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, warning: “Trump’s ‘invasion’ isn’t from Mexico — it’s from his fever dreams. This leak is the whistleblower’s gift to democracy.” By midday, 150 Democrats had co-sponsored a resolution barring military deployments without congressional approval, a measure moderates like Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., signaled openness to joining.

Within the G.O.P., the video has deepened fissures already cracked by the speaker revolt and Ukraine leaks. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., still smarting from Mr. Trump’s “RINO” slur, issued a cautious statement: “The president’s passion for security is unmatched, but military in our streets? That’s a line we tread carefully — let’s see the full context.” His equivocation drew fire from MAGA hard-liners: Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., tweeted, “Weak! Trump’s right — invade the crime dens NOW. Johnson’s folding like a lawn chair.” Yet defense hawks like Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., broke ranks on “Face the Nation,” urging: “Mr. President, love the fight, but Posse Comitatus isn’t optional. This tape plays into the left’s hands — dial it back.” The senator’s plea, a rare public distancing, underscored growing unease among military veterans in the party, with 20 House Republicans privately polling against urban troop surges.

The human toll loomed large in the outrage. In Chicago, where “Aurora” raids have separated families and shuttered schools, community leaders like Rev. Jesse Jackson held emergency vigils, decrying the footage as “a declaration of war on Black and brown America.” Viral X clips juxtaposed Mr. Trump’s map with footage of tear-gassed protests in Springfield, where Guard units clashed with demonstrators last month. Polling from a Democratic firm showed Mr. Trump’s approval cratering to 37 percent in urban areas, with Latino voters — a 2024 swing group — fleeing by 15 points. On X, #TrumpInvasionTape exploded with 4.5 million mentions, from anguished parent testimonials to satirical deepfakes of Mr. Trump goose-stepping through Times Square.

Insiders, leaking to outlets like Axios and Politico, painted a portrait of a White House unraveling. “This is just the appetizer — we’ve got hours of briefings where he rants about ‘total war’ on the cartels bleeding into cities,” one DHS official said, speaking anonymously. The source hinted at a broader trove from a whistleblower network dubbed “Guardians of the Republic,” motivated by Mr. Hegseth’s recent firing of three generals over “insubordination” in refusing urban deployment orders. Mr. Hegseth, in a defensive X thread, insisted: “Protecting citizens from invasion is our oath — critics are the real enemy.” But his post, liked by only 40 percent of usual MAGA accounts, betrayed eroding support.

The scandal intersects with Mr. Trump’s parallel crises: a Supreme Court deferral on his Copyright Office purge, Epstein file leaks and the GOP’s Ukraine rift. Historians like Julian Zelizer likened the tape to Nixon’s “enemies list” tapes, but amplified by algorithms: “It’s not just caught on tape — it’s caught in the zeitgeist, forcing a reckoning on Trump’s martial impulses.” Late-night hosts pounced: Jimmy Kimmel quipped, “Trump’s invasion plan? Finally, a wall — around his own party.”

As night fell over a stunned nation, Mr. Trump retreated to a secure call with allies, plotting counter-narratives. But with impeachment murmurs rising and midterms nine months away, the firestorm rages on. “The scandal’s just beginning,” the DHS source warned. “When the full tapes drop, it won’t be cities invaded — it’ll be his presidency.” In Washington’s pressure cooker, a leaked moment can ignite more than fury: It can consume empires.