Donald Trump drew attention on Tuesday with a speech that veered into a discussion about crime in Chicago, along with criticism of the state’s governor.
The speech, delivered just days before Thanksgiving, was expected to be more positive but took a different direction.
On November 25, during the annual tradition of pardoning the Thanksgiving turkey, Trump launched into a tirade on various issues, focusing particularly on crime.
In the presence of children taking part in the tradition, Trump urged Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to let him deploy National Guard troops to address crime in the city.
He highlighted the urgency of this action following a recent incident where a 50-year-old man, Lawrence Reed, was charged with setting 26-year-old Bethany MaGee on fire on a CTA Blue Line train in downtown Chicago. It was revealed that Reed had been arrested over 70 times.
In his remarks, Trump stated: “You saw all the crimes that took place last night and the night before.
“The woman with the burning, they burned the woman, to be talking about that now; they burned this beautiful woman, riding in a train, a man was arrested 72 times.
“Seventy two times, think of that and they’ll let him out again, the liberal judges will let them out again.
“But we’re ready to go, you know, we’ve been moving toward Chicago.
“We have a governor who thinks it’s wonderful that only about seven people were killed last week. But we are moving toward doing…it is possible what’s happening in Chicago, we could make Chicago a safer city.”
Trump continued his critique of the city’s crime situation, asserting he could transform Chicago into a safe city within 10 weeks. He claimed the residents of Chicago wanted the National Guard deployed for this purpose.
He further criticized Johnson, labeling him as incompetent and referred to the governor derogatorily.
The speech elicited strong reactions on social media, with many questioning the appropriateness of his remarks during the event.
One platform user noted: “Kids are there and he’s screaming about prison, murder, and burning women. Trump is a disaster.”
Another commented: “Trump uses a national holiday to rant about crime and call for troops. Nothing says holiday spirit like militarizing one of the biggest cities in America.”
A third person stated: “Instead of focusing on gratitude and Thanksgiving, Trump focuses on anger and militarized rhetoric. This administration is a joke.”
Another user remarked: “Kids were there to see the turkeys getting pardoned, but of course Trump is talking about a woman getting burned in Chicago. He can never quit with the rage, the name calling, the lies and retribution.”