The bloody toll from another holiday weekend in Chicago reportedly prompted a surprising call from MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Tuesday: Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, should “partner up” with President Donald Trump to confront the city’s spiraling crime.
Scarborough, speaking on his morning program, condemned what he described as a feckless response from city leaders after at least 54 people were shot and 7 killed over Labor Day weekend.
The longtime host said his recent interview with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson had left him stunned by the mayor’s refusal to consider expanding the police presence.
“I actually think that J.B. Pritzker should do something radical,” Scarborough said. “I think he should pick up the phone, call the president, and say, ‘You know and I know you don’t have the Constitutional authority to deploy the National Guard here… But let’s partner up.’”
Scarborough made clear that the governor could not simply invite federal troops into Chicago, but argued that Pritzker could forge a constitutional arrangement with Trump. “These are the most dangerous parts of my state,” Scarborough added. “We would love to figure out how to have a partnership that’s Constitutional… and let’s work together to save lives.”
The former congressman also took aim at Mayor Johnson for framing the city’s policing debate around what he called “dignity.” Johnson, elected last year with strong backing from progressive activists and public sector unions, has insisted that more officers are not the answer to Chicago’s violence. Scarborough was unsparing.
“The mayor talking about ‘we’re gonna protect people’s dignity in our city,’” he said. “Well, protect their lives! That’s protecting their dignity!”
Scarborough’s comments, rare praise for Trump from a cable news host who has often been sharply critical, were quickly echoed — and amplified — by the president himself.
Within an hour of the segment airing, Trump posted on Truth Social, seizing on the bloodshed to highlight what he cast as Democratic failures.
“At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 8 people were killed,” Trump wrote. “The last two weekends were similar. Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far.”
Trump then made clear he would welcome the kind of partnership Scarborough proposed, though in more forceful terms. “Pritzker needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet,” Trump declared. “I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, and soon.”
The back-and-forth underscores the urgency of Chicago’s ongoing crisis — and the growing frustration, even among liberal voices, with Democratic leaders’ resistance to tougher measures.
Scarborough’s call for collaboration between Pritzker and Trump cuts against the partisan grain, but reflects a broader national concern that Chicago has become a symbol of unchecked urban violence.
For Trump, the weekend’s grim statistics offered a ready opportunity to contrast his approach with what he has long portrayed as Democratic indifference.
For residents of Chicago, the calls for action — whether radical or routine — underscore a sobering reality: another violent summer has left the city searching for solutions.
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