In a recent appearance on Fox News’ Ingraham Angle, Daniel Carter Walters, co-founder of Red, discussed Chicago’s safety issues alongside Illinois’ Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker and Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who visited the city’s south side without security measures.
On that day, Pritzker shared a video highlighting the more positive aspects of Chicago. Following this, Laura Ingraham criticized the governor’s efforts as an attempt to provoke former President Donald Trump. In response, Carter Walters expressed concern about the rampant violence, citing four mass shootings within a month and a troubling statistic of 14 people shot, resulting in four fatalities. “We’re bleeding on the streets,” he added.
Walters remarked, “Let’s see if Pritzker or Johnson would spend time in my community, especially with all their police protection. If Chicago is so safe, why is there a need for those details? You can’t even sit alone in your car without the fear of being carjacked or worse.”
During a press conference, Pritzker and Johnson countered claims about crime rates, urging Trump against sending in troops while pointing out that Chicago’s crime statistics have improved. According to reports from ABC7 Chicago, murders had decreased by 25% as of August 16, totaling 474 in the last year, compared to an average of 722 from 2021 to 2023.
On Friday, Trump mentioned the possibility of deploying the National Guard in Chicago, a move following his sending of troops to Washington, D.C. earlier in August under a specific act related to local governance.
This decision came in response to increases in crime-related media coverage, including attacks on political staff and a fatal incident involving intern Eric Tarpinian Jacchim on June 30. While Democrats and some media have pointed to a significant 35% reduction in crime in Washington, D.C., concerns have been raised about the accuracy of these statistics, particularly regarding serious offenses like aggravated assault. A recent investigation revealed potential discrepancies with how crime data was reported by a local police commander.
Despite pushback from Democrats regarding Trump’s crime policies, a survey released by Harvard Cap/Harris indicated that 54% of registered voters view Trump’s initiatives to tackle crime as “justified and necessary.”
