Donald Trump claimed "African-American ladies, beautiful ladies" from Chicago are asking him to come to the city, and deploy the National Guard as part of his administration's supposed crime crackdown across the United States.
"Chicago is a mess, you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent," Trump said. "We’ll straighten that one out, probably next. That will probably be our next one after this."
"And the people in Chicago...are screaming for us to come," he added. "They're wearing red hats, just like this one. African American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, 'Please President Trump, come to Chicago.'"
According to ABC7 Chicago, Chicago police superintendent Larry Snelling announced on Jan. 1 that 2024 marked the first time in five years that there were fewer than 600 murders. Snelling said 2024 was a year of progress due to the 7 percent decline in shootings, compared to the year prior, and a 25 percent drop in robberies after forming a task force to address the matter.
Trump's remarks about Chicago being "a mess" continues a trend in which he exaggerates the safety of a city, similar to Washington, D.C., to justify his administration's actions.
Trump alleges the deployment of the National Guard in the city of Chicago is meant to meet demands of "African-American ladies, beautiful ladies," but absolutely nothing about his record would lead you to believe that he cares about Black women.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, obtained by The Black Wall Street Times, more than 300,000 Black women have lost their jobs from February to July. The Trump administration's federal overhaul, which included cutting diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives, layoffs, and budget cuts, was especially damaging for Black women, who make up 12 percent of the federal work force.
The agency reported in July that the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, but when it came to Black women, that figure was actually 6.3 percent.
Back in August, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) responded to President Donald Trump’s claim that Black women want him to send the National Guard to Chicago, issuing a sharp rebuke.
“President Trump, let me be absolutely clear: you are not welcomed in Chicago. Do not send the National Guard into our city. And you have no authority to claim what Black women want,” Kelly said, adding that deploying the Guard “threatens Black communities that have already been over-policed and under-invested in for generations.”