President Donald Trump renewed his public pressure campaign against Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. He posted a pre-dawn message on Truth Social that described Chicago’s crime problem as spiraling and called on state and city leaders to request federal intervention. The post followed a weekend mass shooting in the city’s Washington Park neighborhood that left one person dead and 14 injured.
Donald Trump rants on Truth Social after Chicago shooting
In the post, Trump framed Chicago’s violence as reaching an unprecedented point. “Chicago violence is unchecked and at record levels. It has never been worse! This weekend 41 people were shot, 3 DEAD. These numbers are becoming normalized. It is out of control.”
He then pressed Pritzker to reach out to him for federal support, arguing that Washington could resolve the problem quickly where local leadership had failed. “The city will die if the Federal Government, a fine-tuned crime-fighting machine, is not invited in, by the Mayor or Governor, to HELP.”
The president continued, “I am awaiting the call. Nobody should be forced to live under these conditions. Like D.C. and others, they will have almost no crime, FAST! The State and City can’t do what I do. Governor Pritzker, CALL!!!”
The shooting Donald Trump referenced is being called the largest mass shooting in Chicago so far this year, according to officials. Investigators say two masked gunmen dressed in black fired into a crowd late Saturday night, and at least one person present returned fire.
Police are working through surveillance footage as they try to track down suspects. Mayor Brandon Johnson has said the incident will not change his administration’s existing strategy on violence prevention.
Moreover, Johnson rejected Trump’s characterization, arguing that federal budget cuts have actually made it harder for cities to fight crime. He also linked Trump’s rhetoric to broader spending priorities (via abc7chicago).
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
