Trump and Chicago, Trump Assassination Attempt Trial, Russia Ukraine Drone Attacks

Summary

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Up First (NPR)

Episode: Trump and Chicago, Trump Assassination Attempt Trial, Russia Ukraine Drone Attacks
Date: September 8, 2025
Hosts: Leila Fadel, A Martinez

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Episode Overview

This episode covers the three most pressing stories of the day:

• President Trump’s threatening remarks—and subsequent walk-back—towards Chicago, alongside his plans related to immigration and crime.
• The start of the trial for Ryan Ruth, accused of attempting to assassinate Trump during his campaign, and the defendant’s unusual decision to represent himself.
• Russia’s largest drone airstrikes on Ukraine to date, the implications for the war effort, and the international response.

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Story 1: Trump Threatens, Then Backs Off, “War” with Chicago

[02:31-06:00]

Key Discussion Points

• Trump's Online Post:

  • President Trump posted an AI-generated meme depicting himself as a character from "Apocalypse Now" above a burning Chicago, captioned, “Chicago: About to find out why it's called the Department of War.”
  • This referenced Trump’s recent rebranding of the Department of Defense to the "Department of War".

• Official and Public Response:

  • Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker responded sharply:

    “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal.” ([03:18])

  • Trump later clarified:

    “We're not going to war." ([03:36])
    “We're going to clean up our cities. We're going to clean them up so they don't kill five people every weekend. That's not war, that's common sense.” ([03:37-03:45])

  • Kat Lonsdorf (NPR reporter in Chicago) noted that violent crime data actually shows a decline, contradicting Trump’s rationale.

• Community Tension and Fear:

  • Chicago residents are tense; protests have filled downtown, with particular concern from immigrant communities.
  • Andrea Soria, a 27-year-old Chicagoan, described the fear in her family:

    “For them to not be able to go out. And all this week they've been relying on myself, you know, go get groceries, go check on this.” ([04:41])

• Legal and Political Context:

  • Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles was ruled illegal last week, though the administration is appealing.
  • In DC, the President retains authority due to the federal structure, but using federal troops in the states raises legal and constitutional questions.

Timestamps and Quotes

• Gov. J.B. Pritzker on the President’s post: “This is not a joke. This is not normal.” ([03:18])
• Trump: “We’re not going to war. We’re going to clean up our cities.” ([03:36])
• Community member Andrea Soria: “For them to not be able to go out... it’s been really stressful.” ([04:41-04:52])
• Kat Lonsdorf on legal challenges: “What we're seeing here with it being potentially forced on states is uncharted territory.” ([05:17])

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Story 2: Trump Assassination Attempt Trial Begins

[06:09-09:39]

Key Discussion Points

• The Case:

  • Ryan Ruth, accused of attempting to assassinate Trump in 2024 while he was golfing, is representing himself in court after expressing dissatisfaction with public defenders.
  • He wrote to the judge:

    “[We were] a million miles apart.” (Letter, via Greg Allen, [06:57])

• Trial Details:

  • Ruth faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for attempted assassination, plus four federal weapons charges. He pleads not guilty.
  • Evidence includes a direct admission in a letter:

    “Dear world, this is an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you.” (Prosecutor’s evidence, [08:13])

  • Controversy over whether jury will see the full 12-page letter, which Ruth claims expresses “gentleness, peacefulness, and nonviolent caring for humanity.”

• Profile and Legal Nuance:

  • Ruth, with a history of criminal activity, has held a variety of political stances.
  • Judge Eileen Cannon, who previously dismissed Trump’s classified documents case, is overseeing this trial as well.

Timestamps and Quotes

• Greg Allen on Ruth's legal stance: “He said they were a million miles apart and were refusing to answer his questions.” ([06:57])
• On the evidence: “Dear world, this is an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you.” ([08:13])
• Judge Cannon’s background: “She was randomly assigned to hear this case.” ([09:18])

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Story 3: Russia Launches Largest Drone Attack on Ukraine

[09:45-13:25]

Key Discussion Points

• The Attack:

  • Over 800 drones targeted Ukrainian cities, with at least five killed and dozens injured. For the first time, a government building in Kyiv’s protected sector was heavily damaged.
  • NPR’s Joanna Kakissis reported directly from Kyiv:

    “I woke up in the middle of the night after I heard a very loud and familiar buzzing sound. That's a shahed drone flying over our neighborhood. And then the booms of air defense trying to shoot down the drones as well as missiles.” ([10:15])

• Ukrainian and International Response:

  • Prime Minister Yulia Svitadenko stood among the damaged government buildings on social media, declaring:

    “You can see the consequences of this attack...looks like Russia is not seeking peace and is not ready for negotiations.” ([11:15 paraphrase])

  • EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned Russia and vowed sanctions; internal EU politics present complications.

• US and Trump Administration Actions:

  • President Trump is considering new sanctions, but existing tariffs have had limited effect.
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said:

    “Open to partnering with the European Union to impose even more sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil...to collapse the Russian economy, but that would take quite a while.” ([12:12 paraphrased])

• Prospects for Continued Conflict:

  • Ukraine presses on with domestic weapons production.
  • President Zelensky:

    “Ukraine now produces more than 60% of its own weapons.”

  • Air defense remains a priority as drone attacks are expected to continue.

Timestamps and Quotes

• Joanna Kakissis on the strikes: “That's a shahed drone flying over our neighborhood. And then the booms of air defense trying to shoot down the drones.” ([10:15])
• Ursula von der Leyen: “The Kremlin is mocking diplomacy...killing indiscriminately because among those killed in Ukraine was a mother and her infant son in Kyiv.” ([11:35 paraphrased])
• Treasury Secretary Scott Besant on sanctions: “Open to partnering...to collapse the Russian economy, but that would take quite a while.” ([12:12 paraphrased])
• Zelensky on self-reliance: “Ukraine is fighting what he called air raid anxiety by making air defense a top priority.” ([13:05])

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• President Trump on Chicago:
  “We're not going to war. We're going to clean up our cities. We're going to clean them up so they don't kill five people every weekend. That's not war, that's common sense.” ([03:36-03:45])

• Andrea Soria on Immigrant Fear:
  “For them to not be able to go out... they’ve been relying on myself, you know, go get groceries, go check on this.” ([04:41])

• Joanna Kakissis, NPR (Kyiv):
  “I woke up in the middle of the night after I heard a very loud and familiar buzzing sound. That's a shahed drone flying over our neighborhood.” ([10:15])

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Conclusion

This fast-paced episode captures major national and international tensions: Trump’s escalatory rhetoric toes the line between political posturing and real policy threats, creating local tensions in Chicago; the high-profile Trump assassination attempt trial raises complex questions about legal representation and evidence; and Russia’s intensification of drone attacks on Ukraine signals a deepening and potentially prolonged conflict, with world leaders struggling to find effective responses.

For the full episode or continued updates, visit the Up First feed via NPR.

Transcript

[A]

President Trump threatened Chicago in an online post saying it's about to find out why it's called the Department of War. Then he walked it back.

[B]

We're not going to war.

[C]

We're going to clean up our city. So how is Chicago responding?

[A]

I'm Leila Falden. That's a Martinez. And this is up first from NPR News. Jury selection begins today in the trial for a man accused of hiding on a golf course with a rifle where President Trump was golfing. He's charged with attempting to assassinate Trump and he's representing himself in court.

[C]

And Russia says it's carried out the largest airstrikes on Ukraine yet, which doesn't seem to bode well for any prospective peace talks. Is Moscow signaling a new phase in this war? Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day.

[D]

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[C]

Dialing back his threats against Chicago after an explosive post on social media over the weekend that many interpreted as a plan to wage war on the city.

[A]

The president has vowed to step up immigration raids and send the National Guard to a number of American cities led by Democrats.

[C]

NPR's Kat Laundsdorf is in Chicago. Kat, you've been there for the past few days. What happened over the weekend?

[E]

Yeah, so on Saturday, Trump posted this pretty remarkable meme on social media you just referred to. It's an AI image of him as a character from the 1979 Vietnam War film Apocalypse now. And it shows Chicago burning with helicopters flying overhead. And it says Chicago. About to find out why it's called the Department of War. He's referring there to his rebranding of the Department of Defense last week. And that got a lot of attention, especially from elected officials here. Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker responded by posting, quote, the President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal. But then on Sunday, Trump was asked by a reporter if he was threatening war with Chicago. And here's how he responded.

[B]

We're not going to war.

[C]

We're going to clean up our cities. We're going to clean them up so.

[F]

They don't kill five people every weekend.

[C]

That's not war, that's common sense.

[E]

Data shows that violent crime is down in Chicago in recent years, but Trump maintains that the National Guard will be sent here and to other cities to fight crime. He's also threatened to step up immigration arrests and deportations.

[C]

All right, so that's the view from D.C. how are people feeling in Chicago?

[E]

People are still going about their daily lives, but it is tense. On Saturday, there was a big protest downtown with marchers taking up whole streets for blocks. I talked to people there and they told me that they were really worried about American democracy, especially after they've seen Trump deploy National Guard troops in both LA and DC in recent months. On the immigration side of things, people are genuinely scared. I went to Pilsen. It's a neighborhood where many people with Mexican roots live on the west side. I talked to 27 year old Andrea Soria there. She teared up a bit, telling me about several undocumented members of her family who haven't left their houses this week.

[F]

For them to not be able to go out. And all this week they've been relying on myself, you know, go get groceries, go check on this.

[E]

And she said it's been really stressful.

[C]

Now Trump has said he will send the National Guard, Cat. He just hasn't said when or where. Wasn't there a ruling last week, if I remember right, saying that Trump's deployment of troops to Los Angeles this summer was illegal.

[E]

Yeah, you're right. That judge found that Trump's use of the National Guard violated a law that limits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. But that ruling, which the Trump administration has appealed, only applies in California. In D.C. where the National Guard has been deployed for about a month. Trump has the authority to do so because of how enmeshed the federal government is with D.C. in most cases, governors deploy their state national guards. Many experts say that what we're seeing here with it being potentially forced on states is uncharted territory.

[C]

Okay, so what are you going to be watching for in the coming days?

[E]

Well, we still really don't know what Trump's going to do. Remember, Trump has threatened multiple cities. Yesterday evening, he left things open, saying he would make a decision about where to send federal troops and agents, quote, over the next day or two. When asked specifically if he has plans for Chicago this week, he said, no, not really.

[C]

All right. That's NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Chicago. Kat, thanks a lot.

[E]

Thank you.

[C]

In Florida, jury selection begins today in the trial of the man charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump last year when he was running for president.

[A]

A Secret Service agent says he spotted Ryan Ruth holding a rifle and fired on the suspect while Trump was golfing at his West Palm beach club last September. Ruth will represent himself in court. The judge hearing the case granted Ruth's request to dismiss his lawyers.

[C]

NPR's Greg Allen will be in the courtroom today, joins us from Fort Pierce, Florida. So, Greg, why did Ruth decide he wanted to represent himself?

[B]

Well, you know, we had a series of pretrial hearings over the last several months. And in the last several Ruth told Judge Eileen Cannon he was dissatisfied with his attorneys because he couldn't hire his own lawyers. He was assigned two federal public defenders, but over the course of several months, he'd said told the judge he didn't like how they were representing him. In a letter to the judge, he said they were a million miles apart. That's a quote. And were refusing to answer his questions. Judge Eileen Cannon, who's hearing the case, held a couple of hearings and considered an evaluation of Ruth's competency that was done by a forensic psychologist. She agreed Ruth could represent himself, but denied a request from his public defenders that they be released in the trial. Instead, she says they'll serve as standby counsel, helping him with court filings and other legal assistance when needed.

[C]

Okay, so remind us, what is Ruth charged with and what penalties could he face.

[B]

Right. Well, you know, to recap, in September of last year, a Secret Service agent who was part of Trump's security detail says he saw a gun barrel poking from the tree line a few holes ahead of where the then presidential candidate was golfing. He immediately fired on the person holding the gun. A man later identified as Ruth fled the scene and was arrested a short time later driving north on Interstate 95. The main count he faces is attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. A conviction on that charge would carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. There are four other accounts, including some federal weapons charges. And Ruth has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

[C]

All right, tell us about Ryan Ruth and tell us about maybe what, how he'll conduct his defense.

[B]

Well, you know, he spent most of his life in North Carolina before moving to Hawaii. He has a criminal record, including a conviction in 2002 for possessing an explosive device. He's apparently held a lot of different political views in his time, supporting people like Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard, and then Donald Trump. He's been a strong supporter of Ukraine. He traveled there and was photographed and interviewed while there. He said he supported Trump for President in 2016 and now regrets that decision. A key piece of effort, I think, will be this 12 page letter he left with a friend that was turned over to authorities after his arrest. Prosecutors plan to show just the first page of the letter to the jury. That's where he writes, dear world, this is an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you. Ruth wants the jury to see the full text of the 12 page letter. He said in a motion to the judge that, quote, every line is about gentleness, peacefulness, and nonviolent caring for humanity. Judge Cannon says she'll wait until later to rule on that request.

[C]

And speaking of Judge Cannon, she had another high profile case not that long ago. That was Donald Trump's criminal trial on charges that he mishandled, classified in top secret documents.

[B]

Right. We heard a lot about Judge Eileen Tannen over the last couple years. She was appointed to the federal bench by Trump in 2020. In that classified documents case, she dismissed the charges against Trump, ruling that the appointment of a special counsel to prosecute the former president was unconstitutional. She was randomly assigned to hear this case.

[C]

All right, that's NPR's Greg Allen in Fort Pierce, Florida. Greg, thanks.

[B]

You're welcome.

[C]

Over the weekend, Ukraine says Russia launched its largest airstrikes yet on Ukrainian cities using more than 800 attack drones.

[A]

At least five people were killed and dozens were injured. And for the first time, a building in the heavily protected government sector was badly damaged. The attack comes as appeals from the Trump administration have failed to push Russia into ending its war on Ukraine.

[C]

NPR's Joanna Kakissis is on the live from Kyiv. Joanna, tell us about this weekend's attacks.

[F]

Yeah, actually, I just gotten back into town when these attacks began on Saturday evening. I woke up in the middle of the night after I heard a very loud and familiar buzzing sound. That's a shahed drone flying over our neighborhood. And then the booms of air defense trying to shoot down the drones as well as missiles. By early Sunday morning, smoke was billowing from the government sector, which is protected by layers of air defense. The building where President Volody Zelensky's cabinet meets was on fire.

[C]

Yeah, and this is a heavily guarded sector of Kyiv. I mean, is this the first time a building in that area has been damaged in an attack?

[F]

Yes. Hey, it's the first time since the beginning of Russia's full scale invasion in February 2022. Now, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, the fire appears to have started after burning debris from a destroyed Russian drone fell on the building. And later on Sunday, Yulia Svitadenko, she's Ukraine's prime minister, she posted a video to social media of herself walking past the bro walls of the damaged building. Here's a bit of that clip. Now she's saying you can see the consequences of this attack. We've put out the fires. Our rescue crews are still working, and it looks like Russia is not seeking peace and is not ready for negotiations. Svedenko went on to say that she hopes Ukraine's allies will respond.

[C]

Oh, have they responded?

[F]

Well, yeah, they have, at least verbally. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said the Kremlin is mocking diplomacy, trampling on international law and killing, killing indiscriminately because among those killed in Ukraine was a mother and her infant son in Kyiv. However, the European Union is not entirely united in how to respond to Russian attacks. Hungary and Slovakia, for example, rely on Russian oil and economic ties, and its populist leaders often attack NATO and even the EU leadership as elitists. But von der Leyen said the EU is tightening sanctions on Russia and is helping Ukraine financially and with its military.

[C]

Okay, what did President Trump have to say about this?

[F]

Well, President Trump told reporters in Washington on Sunday that he is considering new sanctions in response to Russia rebuffing a ceasefire. However, the 50% tariffs the Trump administration imposed on countries like India for buying Russian oil appear to have had no real impact. Speaking to NBC News on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant suggested that the US Is open to partnering with the European Union to impose even more sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil. This would be an attempt to, quote, collapse the Russian economy as he said that, though of course that would take quite a while.

[C]

So it looks like Russia is able to resist the effects of sanctions. So is Ukraine preparing for an extended war?

[F]

Yeah, well, they are preparing by arming themselves. President Zelensky said a couple of days ago that Ukraine now produces more than 60% of its own weapons. And in his evening address last night, Zelensky said Ukraine is fighting what he called air raid anxiety by making air defense a top priority because according to Ukraine's military intelligence, Russia is producing nearly 3,000 thousand shahed attack drones every month, and that's a sign that the attacks will continue.

[C]

That's NPR's Joanna Kakissis in Kyiv. Joanna, thanks.

[F]

You're welcome.

[C]

And that's up first for Monday, September 8th.

[A]

Emmy Martinez and I'm Layla Fauld. Your next listen is Consider this from npr. We here at up first give you the three big stories of the day. Our Consider this colleagues take a different approach. They dive into a single news story and what it means to you. Learn about a big story of the day in less than 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[C]

Today's episode of up first was edited by Gigi Duban, Russell Lewis, Miguel Macias, Mohamed El Bardisi and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Buch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Hyness. Our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us again tomorrow.

[F]

Foreign.

[D]

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