Tourism as Resistance: What's Happening With Chicago's $900 Million Response to Federal "War Zone" Rhetoric

By Leroy Adams

Mayor Brandon Johnson is weaponizing hotel bookings, Condé Nast awards, and tourist foot traffic to counter federal propaganda painting Chicago as a dangerous hellscape—and the strategy has deep historical precedent.

Why is the federal government calling Chicago a "war zone"?

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has repeatedly characterized Chicago as a crisis-ridden city plagued by violence and lawlessness. Federal officials have used terms like "war-torn" and painted the city as a dangerous place that requires extraordinary intervention.

This rhetoric is being deployed to justify the potential deployment of ICE agents, National Guard troops, and military presence in civilian communities throughout Chicago. The narrative focuses heavily on crime statistics while ignoring the city's economic vitality, cultural contributions, and day-to-day reality for millions of residents.

The framing isn't new. It echoes authoritarian playbooks throughout history where regimes paint certain cities or regions as dangerous to justify increased control, surveillance, and militarization. In this case, Chicago, a Democratic stronghold with significant Black and brown populations, becomes a target for federal overreach under the guise of "public safety."

How did Mayor Brandon Johnson respond?

Rather than engaging in traditional political back-and-forth, Mayor Johnson pulled out hard economic data that directly contradicts the "war zone" narrative. In public statements, he highlighted Chicago's thriving tourism sector, “The city of Chicago was voted best big city in America nine years in a row. We had some of the largest economic activity in our downtown corridors, where 3.5 million hotel bookings, $900 million in revenue, over $20 billion of full economic impact in tourism” he recently said on an interview with WEBZ radio. He continued, “Our airports set and broke records seven times in the summer. What the president is doing is trying to undermine the message that people know. The fact that we have more people in our airports. Ridership is up on our public transportation. The Chicago marathon, where, at least 3000 people from the county of Mexico have signed up. What does that say to me? There’s a whole lot of people out there who know what I know and that is that the city of Chicago is the greatest city in the world.”

By centering tourism data, he's essentially saying: if Chicago were the dangerous hellscape being portrayed, why are millions of people—including international travelers—choosing to visit and spend money here?

The mayor's strategy reframes the conversation from political rhetoric to economic reality, making it harder for propaganda to take root when confronted with objective metrics.

Why is tourism data such an effective counter-narrative?

Tourism numbers function as independent verification that's difficult to manipulate or dismiss. When 3.5 million people vote with their feet and $900 million in bookings flow into a city's hotels, it creates several layers of counter-evidence:

Independent Safety Assessment: Every tourist who books a hotel has conducted their own risk evaluation. Travel review sites, social media posts, and word-of-mouth recommendations create a distributed network of truth-telling that operates outside official channels. Travelers become third-party witnesses who've experienced the city firsthand and can counter propaganda with personal testimony.

Economic Proof of Vitality: The $900 million hotel economy represents thousands of jobs, many in Black and brown communities that are being portrayed as "dangerous." Tourism dollars fund local businesses, cultural institutions, and the very neighborhoods that authoritarian rhetoric seeks to demonize. Economic success undermines the justification for federal intervention—it's harder to claim a city is "failing" when its hospitality sector is booming.

International Credibility: Condé Nast Traveler isn't a Chicago publication or a Democratic organization, it's an international luxury travel authority. When they vote Chicago as the Best Big City in the U.S., that's external validation that carries weight beyond domestic political narratives. International travelers don't come to "war zones"—they come to thriving cultural destinations.

Is there historical precedent for using tourism to counter authoritarian propaganda?

During the Cold War, tourism became a critical battlefield in the ideological struggle between East and West, particularly around Berlin.

The East German Playbook: The Soviet-backed East German government painted West Berlin as decadent, dangerous, and morally corrupt. State-controlled media showed selective images of chaos and decline to justify why East Germans couldn't travel there. The regime restricted movement, built the Berlin Wall, and used propaganda to justify militarization and surveillance—all while claiming it was for citizens' protection.

Reality vs. Propaganda: West Berlin was actually thriving culturally and economically. But the truth was suppressed until Western tourists began visiting Eastern Bloc countries in increasing numbers following the Helsinki Accords in 1975. These travelers became witnesses who could verify what was real versus what was propaganda.

The Breaking Point: By 1989, when Hungary relaxed border controls with Austria, thousands of East German "tourists" poured through and stayed, seeking passage to the West. The regime couldn't maintain its narrative about Western decline when confronted with the undeniable economic disparity and the flood of people desperately trying to reach the supposedly "dangerous" West. Tourism helped expose the lies that authoritarian systems depend on.

The parallel to Chicago is striking: paint the city as dangerous to justify control, suppress counter-narratives, use fear to maintain power. But just like Berlin, the truth has a way of breaking through—especially when backed by millions of dollars in economic data.

What makes this about more than just Chicago?

This situation reveals a broader authoritarian playbook being deployed against blue cities with significant Black and brown populations. Chicago is the current target, but the tactics are replicable:

Pattern Recognition: Use selective media coverage to amplify violence while ignoring prosperity. Frame economically vibrant cities as "failing" to justify federal intervention. Deploy fear-based narratives that make extraordinary measures seem reasonable. Target cities with cultural and political power that challenge federal authority.

Cultural Sovereignty Under Attack: Chicago's tourism economy is built on its Black cultural contributions—blues, jazz, house music, world-class cuisine, vibrant neighborhoods. Visitors come specifically for this culture. When federal forces frame these communities as dangerous, they're not just attacking Chicago's reputation—they're attacking the right of Black and brown cities to define themselves and celebrate their cultural power.

Economic Defense as Political Resistance: What Mayor Johnson is demonstrating is how economic data can serve as a shield against authoritarian narratives. When cities can prove their vitality through tourism numbers, job creation, and international recognition, they make it harder for propaganda to justify intervention. This matters for every city that might face similar tactics.

How are people responding to Mayor Johnson's strategy?

The response has been mixed but largely supportive among those who recognize the historical parallels and political stakes.

Travel Industry Support: Tourism professionals and hospitality workers have amplified Johnson's message, seeing it as validation of their work and defense of their livelihoods. Many Black-owned businesses in Chicago's tourism sector have shared the data as proof that their communities are thriving despite being portrayed otherwise.

Social Media Movement: A grassroots #900Chicago hashtag has emerged, with locals and visitors alike sharing positive Chicago experiences to counter the "war zone" narrative. Travelers are posting reviews, photos, and testimonials as a form of political participation—their tourism dollars becoming votes of confidence.

Political Divide: Predictably, the response splits along political lines. Supporters see Johnson's approach as a smart use of objective data to combat propaganda. Critics dismiss the tourism numbers as cherry-picking or argue they don't address legitimate crime concerns. But the debate itself shifts the conversation from fear-mongering to facts.

National Attention: Media outlets and other mayors are watching closely. If tourism data can effectively counter authoritarian narratives about Chicago, other cities facing similar rhetoric may adopt the same strategy—turning hospitality metrics into political weapons.

What can travelers and citizens actually do?

For those who understand the stakes, there are concrete actions that transform tourism from passive consumption into active resistance:

Visit Chicago: Your presence matters. Every hotel booking, restaurant reservation, and cultural event ticket contributes to the economic data that counters propaganda. When you travel to a city being demonized, you're conducting an independent safety assessment and becoming a witness to the truth.

Document Truthfully: Share your real Chicago experiences on social media. Post photos, write reviews, tell stories that show the city's vitality. Your personal testimony disrupts official narratives in ways that political statements cannot. Use hashtags like #900Chicago to connect your experience to the broader movement.

Support Black-Owned Businesses: Tourism dollars that flow to Black and brown entrepreneurs directly fund the communities being portrayed as dangerous. Seek out locally-owned hotels, restaurants, cultural venues, and tour operators. Economic power in these communities undermines the justification for federal intervention.

Amplify Mayor Johnson's Data: Share the numbers. When you see fear-mongering about Chicago, counter it with facts: $900 million in hotel bookings, 3.5 million downtown visitors, Best Big City award. Make the truth as viral as the propaganda.

Understand the Bigger Picture: This isn't just about one city. It's about recognizing authoritarian tactics when you see them and refusing to let fear-based narratives go unchallenged. What happens to Chicago sets a precedent for how the federal government can treat other cities with cultural and political power.

Where do things stand now?

Mayor Johnson continues to highlight Chicago's tourism success as a counter-narrative to federal rhetoric. The city has not backed down from its position, and tourism numbers remain strong despite the propaganda campaign.

Federal deployment plans are still being discussed, but the economic data Johnson has weaponized makes it harder to justify intervention on the grounds that Chicago is a "failing" city in crisis. When your hotels are full and Condé Nast is giving you awards, the "war zone" framing becomes transparently political rather than factually grounded.

The situation remains fluid, but one thing is clear: tourism has become an unexpected front in the resistance against authoritarian overreach. As Johnson said, "When they need you to be afraid of a city, the most radical act is to book a hotel there."

History suggests he might be right. Tourism helped bring down the Berlin Wall. It might just help Chicago defend its sovereignty too.