Chicago City Wire

Mayor Brandon Johnson has called on Chicago residents to resist federal intervention in the city, following recent comments made during an appearance on MSNBC. Johnson criticized former President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard units to cities facing high crime rates and illegal immigration, including Chicago.

During the interview, Johnson stated: "the president has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to what? Arrest nine people in D.C.? That clearly demonstrates that he doesn’t have a level of consciousness to understand what it takes to run cities, not to mention an entire country."

Trump responded to Johnson’s remarks with a post on Truth Social: "The incompetent Mayor of Chicago just stated that, in DC, where crime has been brought down to almost nothing, there have been no murders in 9 days, something which hasn’t happened in years, and people are safe again, only nine people have been arrested. That is wrong, hundreds of criminals have been held, captured, and arrested, and their guns have been taken away. DC IS SAFE AND BOOMING!!!"

Johnson went on to encourage local opposition against federal forces: "We’ll take legal action," he said. "But the people of this city are accustomed to rising up against tyranny. And if that’s necessary, I believe that the people of Chicago will stand firm alongside me as I work every single day to protect the people of this city."

In 2020, widespread property damage occurred in Chicago during civil unrest. The destruction was estimated at $66 million and led some businesses not to reopen.