Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough was made to press Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for an answer after the Democrat repeatedly refused to say if he’d accept more police resourcing from the Trump administration, moments after he demanded President Donald Trump restore $800 million in grants for violence prevention programs.
Johnson appeared on MSNBC on Tuesday to continue to push back against Trump’s suggestion on Friday that he may send National Guard troops to Chicago and New York City, as he has in Washington, D.C., as part of a crackdown on crime.
The mayor blasted Trump from the outset for threatening his city with a “military occupation” that he said was both “illegal” and “unconstitutional.” He added that it was unnecessary, citing “a precipitous decline in violent crime in every single category” under his leadership.
Listing statistics, he continued: “If this president was actually serious about driving violence down in the city of Chicago and American cities across this country, he would work with mayors to make sure that we have the necessary investments to continue to do the work that we have been doing.”
Scarborough, who has advocated for cooperation between cities and the federal government on crime, asked what a “productive relationship with the Trump administration looks like?”
“An excellent question,” Johnson said. “First of all, he could start by restoring the over $800 million that was taken away from violence prevention efforts back in April.” He continued to detail work
Scarborough agreed that these were “great programs” before asking whether the mayor would also accept federal funding that would put extra police officers on the street in a line of questioning that quickly escalated into a heated back-and-forth.
SCARBOROUGH: So let me ask you, Mr. Mayor, those all sound like great programs. I’m curious, would you also like to get federal funding to help put 5000 more cops on the street in Chicago? Would that help drive down crime?JOHNSON: Well, look, policing by itself is not the full strategy.SCARBOROUGH [INTERRUPTING]: No, I understand that. You’ve talked about the other things you want. And I said those are good and important programs. But I’m asking also, would 5000 more police officers on the street in Chicago be helpful to go along with all of those social programs that a lot of cities are engaging in and having success with?JOHNSON: Well, look, here’s the best way I can put it, Joe, is that in the 90s, when I was in high school, we had 3000 more police officers, and we had 900 people being murdered every single year in Chicago. It’s just not policing alone. Of course we want more detectives.SCARBOROUGH: Of course I know policing alone,
but, of course it’s not policing alone. You’ve told me everything else you want. I’m curious, and this does come down to an ideological difference between people: do you believe that the streets of Chicago would be safer if there were more uniformed police officers on the streets of Chicago?JOHNSON: I believe the city of Chicago and cities across America would be safer if we actually had, you know, affordable housing. Look, I’m not saying –SCARBOROUGH: That not the question I asked. My question is, and I just need a yes or no. Do you believe the streets of Chicago would be safer if you got all of those other extraordinary programs put back into place, which do have a history of being successful, if that’s complimented by having 5000 more cops on the streets of Chicago.JOHNSON: I don’t believe that we should narrow it down to just police officers is what I’m saying –SCARBOROUGH: I’m not –JOHNSON [CONT’D]: – that is an antiquated approach. I’m saying we’ve invested in detectives.SCARBOROUGH: Are you hearing what I’m saying? I’m agreeing with you that all of these other social programs are extraordinarily important. I just need a yes or a no. And then this will be the last time I ask if you get all of those other social programs that $800 million that New YorkCity does, Los Angeles, other people do with great success? Would an additional 5000 cops on the streets in Chicago help compliment those programs to make Chicago safer?JOHNSON: Look, we are working hard to make sure that our police department is fully supported. I don’t believe that just simply putting out an arbitrary number around police officers is the answer. What I’m saying is policing and affordable housing. It’s policing and mental and behavioral health care services. It’s policing and youth employment. It’s a full package. Of course, we want to make sure that our police department is fully supported.
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