Chicago mayor to Trump: “Consider this a call”

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is calling on President Donald Trump to fight violence the mayor’s way.

During a press briefing at City Hall on Tuesday, Johnson recalled that Trump asked him to call for help with violence prevention.

“Consider this a call, Mr. President. I’m calling on you to invest in building more affordable homes across this country. I’m calling on you to respond to the needs of people who cannot afford grocery and gas,” the mayor said.

Last month, Trump said in a social media post that Gov. J.B. Pritzker should call him for help to fight crime in Chicago. The president said on several previous occasions that both Pritzker and Johnson should call for help.

On Tuesday, Johnson said Trump should invest in public institutions.

“If you are the big man and the big person that you claim to be, make those investments and I will put everything that I love on the fact that violence will go down across this country,” Johnson said.

The mayor asked the president not to send policing and militarization.

During his press briefing, Johnson did not mention retiring Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling or discuss the search for Snelling’s successor.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul was asked on Monday if he is concerned that Snelling is retiring around the same time that the FBI special agent in charge of the Chicago field office, Douglas DePodesta, stepped down.

Raoul said he is concerned and said Snelling was a good law enforcement leader who was not political.

“Hopefully whoever succeeds him will embrace the same philosophy as well as the leader, whoever is at the FBI,” Raoul said.

Violent crime numbers dropped dramatically during Snelling’s three years as superintendent.

Chicago police data shows 210 murders from Jan. 1, 2026 through June 30. The city had 312 homicides during the same period in 2023.

According to the Illinois Policy Institute, Chicago saw 440 homicides from June 2025 to May 2026, a sharp drop from 544 the year before and the lowest number since the year ending in May 2014.

On Tuesday, Johnson credited his administration’s investments in youth employment, behavioral health and community violence intervention.

“Everywhere we’ve made these critical investments, particularly where CVI exists, that’s where crime has dropped the most dramatically,” Johnson said.