During a law enforcement conference in Chicago, President Trump strongly criticized Chicago’s Police Superintendent, Eddie Johnson, for the city’s high crime rates. The President accused Johnson of prioritizing “criminals and illegal aliens” over the safety of Chicago residents. This criticism followed Johnson’s decision to boycott Trump’s speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference.
Trump’s remarks were delivered before his prepared speech, where he suggested that Johnson should be replaced, citing the escalating dangers in Chicago. According to Fox News, Trump stated, “People like Johnson put criminals and illegal aliens before the citizens of Chicago. Those are his values and, frankly, those values to me are a disgrace.”
Chicago’s status as a “sanctuary city”, where local authorities limit cooperation with federal immigration officials, has long been a point of contention. Supporters of the policy argue that it fosters trust between local police and immigrant communities. Trump, a long-standing critic of Chicago’s policies, dating back to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, was in the city to sign an executive order establishing the Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice.
He repeatedly criticized Johnson for the city’s rampant gun violence, asserting that rank-and-file officers deserve a leader who supports them. “It’s embarrassing to us as a nation,” Trump said. “All over the world they’re talking about Chicago. Afghanistan is a safe place by comparison.”
Trump specifically targeted Johnson’s failure to address the city’s high murder rate. “He’s not doing his job,” Trump stated, noting that “565 people were murdered last year.” While the actual number, according to a Chicago Tribune analysis, was 573 in 2018, it was still lower than the 675 homicides in 2017 and significantly lower than the 795 in 2016, the year Johnson became head of the Chicago Police Department.
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Despite the slight decrease in homicides, Chicago’s murder rate in 2018 remained higher than the combined total in New York and Los Angeles. New York reported 278 homicides, and Los Angeles reported 243 as of mid-December of the previous year.
Johnson explained his decision to boycott Trump’s speech as stemming from “personal feelings,” telling local media, “I have to take into account, not just my personal feelings about it, but our core values as a city. We are nothing without trust and with some of our communities under siege, it just doesn’t line up with our city’s core values along with my personal values.”
Trump responded to Johnson’s “values” comment by reviving past criticisms of Johnson and Chicago. “More than anyone else this person should be here because maybe he could learn something,” Trump said. “That’s a very insulting statement after all I’ve done for the police. I want Eddie Johnson to change his values and to change them fast.”
Johnson’s decision also drew criticism from the city’s chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, which called it “an insult to both President Trump and the office of the presidency itself and would be a mark of disgrace upon the city throughout the entire nation, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot.” Lightfoot also declined to meet with Trump during his visit. FOP Lodge 7 subsequently announced a vote of no confidence in the police superintendent.
While Trump delivered his speech, Chicago police were on high alert, managing planned protests against the president. Protesters gathered near the Trump International Hotel and Tower, met by a significant police presence. Temporary fencing and city snowplows blocked access to the hotel, and protesters carried signs with slogans such as “Impeach Trump” and “Trump is a traitor.”
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