President Donald Trump on Tuesday railed against violent crime in Chicago and offered the assistance of the federal government to help the city address the problem.
“Chicago violence is unchecked and at record levels,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “It has never been worse! This weekend 41 people were shot, 3 DEAD. These numbers are becoming normalized. It is out of control! 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. 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!!!”
Last weekend was a particularly violent one, even for the Windy City after 38 people were shot across the city. At least three of the shootings were fatal.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson did what Democrats usually do in the wake of violent crime. He pushed for gun control.
“Through last night’s shootings, we are reminded of the devastating impact of gun violence,” he wrote in a post on X. “In a matter of moments, a life can be taken, families can be forever changed, and communities can be left grieving.”
Through last night’s shootings, we are reminded of the devastating impact of gun violence. In a matter of moments, a life can be taken, families can be forever changed, and communities can be left grieving.
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) August 30, 2026
In a follow up post, he affirmed that the city remains “steadfast in our work to break these cycles of trauma by continuing to stop the flow of guns into our communities and investing in the resources that help prevent violence before it occurs.”
We remain steadfast in our work to break these cycles of trauma by continuing to stop the flow of guns into our communities and investing in the resources that help prevent violence before it occurs. My administration will continue to show up for those impacted by these violent…
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) August 30, 2026
Chicago’s crime rate has dropped over the past five years after peaking in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the city recorded 805 homicides, which dropped to 719 in 2022, then 623 in 2023, and 587 in 2024. The rate hit a 60-year low of 416 in 2025. However, preliminary data from the first half of 2026 shows a slight increase of about five percent compared to the same period last year.
However, when compared to most other major U.S. cities, Chicago’s homicide remains higher.