Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot claimed during a testy exchange with a reporter Friday that her murder-plagued city has crime under control.
So what
Critics have accused Lightfoot and other Democratic leaders of failing to fully grapple with an ongoing homicide spike in Chicago and other large U.S. cities.
The moment
Newsmax’s William Kelly asked Lightfoot during a news conference if she had “lost control of the city,” and she angrily replied, “Crime is not out of control in our city. In fact, crime is on the decline.”
Lightfoot went on to say all Chicago crime, including homicides, is “in decline” — though she specified Monday she was only comparing this month to last June.
Fact check
The horrific street executions of a Chicago couple earlier in June were two of at least 331 homicides in the city so far this year, up 4% from this point in 2020 and 34% compared to 2019.
Same energy
In a local TV interview Tuesday, Lightfoot once again blamed Chicago’s escalating crime on firearms coming into the city from states with lax gun laws and said she was “grateful” for President Joe Biden’s recent pledge to crack down on firearms in the city and nationwide.
Asked about criticism of her temper, Lightfoot, who is black and gay, dismissed it as “about 99%” racism and sexism.
