On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reportedly clashed with host Joe Scarborough in a heated exchange that revealed the far-left mayor’s reluctance to embrace more police resources, even as he demanded President Donald J. Trump restore hundreds of millions in federal funding for violence prevention programs.
Mr. Johnson, a Democrat, appeared on the program to denounce Mr. Trump’s suggestion last Friday that he might deploy National Guard troops to crime-plagued cities like Chicago and New York, similar to his actions in Washington, D.C.
The mayor condemned the idea as a “military occupation” that he argued was both “illegal” and “unconstitutional.” Insisting such a move was unnecessary, Mr. Johnson claimed the city has seen “a precipitous decline in violent crime in every single category” under his leadership.
“If this president was actually serious about driving violence down in the city of Chicago and American cities across this country,” Mr. Johnson said, “he would work with mayors to make sure that we have the necessary investments to continue to do the work that we have been doing.”
Pressed by Mr. Scarborough to describe what a “productive relationship with the Trump administration looks like,” Mr. Johnson pointed first to funding. “He could start by restoring the over $800 million that was taken away from violence prevention efforts back in April,” the mayor responded.
He touted initiatives such as community-led conflict resolution organizations and the use of trained mental health professionals, which he argued can, in some cases, reduce the need for a police response altogether.
While Mr. Scarborough praised those as “great programs,” he pivoted to ask the mayor a pointed question: would Chicago benefit from additional police officers as well?
“So let me ask you, Mr. Mayor, those all sound like great programs,” the host said. “I’m curious, would you also like to get federal funding to help put 5000 more cops on the street in Chicago? Would that help drive down crime?”
Mr. Johnson refused to give a direct answer. “Well, look, policing by itself is not the full strategy,” he replied, prompting Mr. Scarborough to interrupt: “I understand that. You’ve talked about the other things you want. But I’m asking also, would 5000 more police officers on the street in Chicago be helpful?”
The mayor countered with a comparison from the 1990s, noting, “when I was in high school, we had 3000 more police officers, and we had 900 people being murdered every single year in Chicago. It’s just not policing alone.”
Undeterred, Mr. Scarborough pressed again, asking for a yes or no. “Do you believe the streets of Chicago would be safer if there were more uniformed police officers on the streets of Chicago?”
Mr. Johnson avoided the binary choice. “I believe the city of Chicago and cities across America would be safer if we actually had, you know, affordable housing,” he said, before listing additional social programs.
When asked one final time whether 5000 more officers, alongside those programs, would make Chicago safer, the mayor declined to say yes.
Instead, he concluded: “I don’t believe that just simply putting out an arbitrary number around police officers is the answer. What I’m saying is policing and affordable housing. It’s policing and mental and behavioral health care services. It’s policing and youth employment. It’s a full package.”
Mr. Johnson insisted that his administration is “working hard to make sure that our police department is fully supported,” but stopped short of acknowledging that more officers might make Chicago’s streets safer.
The exchange captured a sharp contrast: a radical mayor unwilling to concede that more police might help curb crime, even as his city appeals for the restoration of $800 million in federal funds.
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