Donald Trump sparked controversy on Tuesday with an unexpected diatribe about crime in Chicago and criticism of the state’s governor.
What started as an anticipated positive message just before Thanksgiving shifted dramatically due to Trump’s speech.
On November 25, during the traditional Thanksgiving turkey pardon, Trump veered into a tirade covering various issues, including crime.
Amidst a crowd of children gathered for the festive occasion, Trump urged Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to permit him to deploy National Guard troops to address crime in the city.
Trump highlighted the urgency of this action in light of a recent crime involving 50-year-old Lawrence Reed, accused of setting 26-year-old Bethany MaGee on fire while they were on a CTA Blue Line train in downtown Chicago. It was later disclosed that Reed had been arrested over 70 times.
In his address, Trump asserted: “You saw all the crimes that took place last night and the night before.
“The woman with the burning, they burned the woman, to be talking about that now; they burned this beautiful woman, riding in a train, a man was arrested 72 times.
“Seventy two times, think of that and they’ll let him out again, the liberal judges will let them out again.
“But we’re ready to go, you know, we’ve been moving toward Chicago.
“We have a governor who thinks it’s wonderful that only about seven people were killed last week. But we are moving toward doing…it is possible what’s happening in Chicago, we could make Chicago a safer city.”
Trump continued to express his frustration about crime in the city, claiming he could transform it into a safe city within 10 weeks. He suggested that Chicago residents desire the National Guard’s presence for this purpose.
The President went on to label Johnson as incompetent and referred to the governor as a ‘big fat slob’.
Trump’s speech left people on social media astonished, with some questioning the appropriateness of such remarks at that moment.
One X user commented: “Kids are there and he’s screaming about prison, murder, and burning women. Trump is a disaster.”
Another remarked: “Trump uses a national holiday to rant about crime and call for troops. Nothing says holiday spirit like militarizing one of the biggest cities in America.”
A third added: “Instead of focusing on gratitude and Thanksgiving, Trump focuses on anger and militarized rhetoric. This administration is a joke.”
Another pointed out: “Kids were there to see the turkeys getting pardoned, but of course Trump is talking about a woman getting burned in Chicago. He can never quit with the rage, the name calling, the lies and retribution.”