Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson blamed President Donald Trump and red states for the city’s crime problem on Tuesday amid debate over whether the White House should send National Guard troops to protect public safety.
During a press conference, Johnson said, “There are measures that the federal government can take right now to help continue to drive down violence and crime in our city.”
“We need the federal government to stop the endless flow of guns into our state and into our city. Chicago police officers have taken more than 24,000 illegal guns off the streets of Chicago since I’ve taken office—over 24,000 illegal guns,” the mayor continued. “They have worked hard every single day to make our city safer, and they’ve made historic progress.”
Johnson further insisted that “we will never be able to end gun violence in Chicago as long as the president continues to allow tens of thousands of guns to be trafficked into our state and our city” and that “the vast majority of guns do not come from Chicago.”
The mayor then blamed the lack of gun control laws in red states for the problem. “These guns come from red states. They are coming from Indiana. They are coming from Mississippi. They are coming from Louisiana. And that is the harsh reality, whether Republicans like it or not,” he said.
Johnson pushed back against Trump’s plans to use National Guard troops to curb crime in the Windy City. “Occupying our city will do nothing to solve this problem, no matter how much work we do or how hard we work—whether it’s expanding our detectives bureau, investing in community violence intervention, or addressing the root causes of crime,” he added. “None of it will ever be enough until the president decides to end the mass trafficking of guns in our city.”
He concluded by saying, “Chicago will continue to have a violence problem as long as red states continue to have a gun problem.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson blames Trump for fueling crime in his city.
— Hotep Jeffiziah Charles🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) September 3, 2025
"We will never be able to end gun violence in Chicago as long as the president continues to allow tens of thousands of guns to be trafficked into our state and our city." pic.twitter.com/cA9gkmohf2
About 60 percent of guns used in crime were first sold out of the state between 2013 and 2016, according to Chicago’s Gun Trace Report. However, more recent data from the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) shows that Illinois is the single largest source for guns recovered in the state in 2023.. So even if the Gun Trace Report’s data were accurate before 2016, it appears those numbers are outdated.
But it also reveals something anti-gunners don’t like to admit — gun control doesn’t work. Most of the guns used in crimes in Chicago were obtained illegally. They were stolen or obtained through straw purchases.
The crime rate in Chicago has declined, as it has across the country. But it is clearly still too high. Instead of blaming red states and the president for the city’s crime problems, perhaps Mayor Johnson should look at his own crime policies.
Editor's Note: Democrats are desperately trying to downplay the impact of crime on the American public. We need your help to continue exposing their lies.
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