A Chicago pastor says Democratic leaders are misleading the public about crime in the city and urges President Trump to step in. The confrontation highlights a widening gap between faith-based community advocates and state officials over public safety.
Chicago Pastor Corey Brooks of Project H.O.O.D. insists the city’s crime crisis is being downplayed by Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson. Brooks cited around 254 homicides so far this year—80 percent of the victims Black males—and declared claims of safety improvements “an outright lie.” He supports a temporary deployment of the National Guard to restore calm, though notes lasting solutions must come from local institutions.
Brooks told Fox & Friends, “For anyone in our community to say that things are getting better and that people are safe, that is an outright lie.”
He went on to add, “We still have mothers who are burying young boys, and their sons are dying prematurely. That is a serious issue. And for individuals to make us try to feel as if we’re witnessing things getting better, that’s not right.”
State and local leaders strongly disagree. Governor Pritzker denounces federal intervention as unconstitutional and politically motivated, arguing there is no established crime emergency—especially as violent crime in Chicago has dropped significantly this year. Mayor Johnson warns that deploying troops could damage community trust and inflame tensions, undermining progress.
Nationally, President Trump has proposed sending the National Guard to Chicago as part of a broader initiative, following similar deployments in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. He claims such a surge could dramatically reduce crime. Critics challenge the legality and effectiveness of such measures
