A war of words between Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and President Donald Trump is escalating after Johnson responded to Trump’s childish name-calling this week with a few choice words of his own directed right back at the President.
Trump announced the federal takeover of policing in Washington, D.C., earlier this week to reduce crime and said that other cities could follow.
“If we need to, we’re going to do the same thing in Chicago, which is a disaster,” Trump lamented. “We have a mayor there that’s totally incompetent. He’s an incompetent man.”
During a news conference on Tuesday, local reporter William Kelly accused Johnson of not keeping the people of Chicago safe as the mayor’s aide tried to move on from the questioning.
“What do you say to Donald Trump? How did you feel when Donald Trump called you ‘incompetent?’” Kelly asked.
“He just addressed this,” Johnson’s aide said.
“Please answer that question if you will. Please,” the reporter persisted.
“OK, fine. Since you are begging. I do believe that Donald Trump is intimidated by —” Johnson began before the reporter tried to interrupt him.
“Let me just answer that. I do appreciate you begging,” Johnson shot back. “So, I will just say it like this that the president has always been intimidated by the intellectual prowess of Black men. And so, of course, he would speak in those petite and puerile terms because he’s small,” Johnson responded.
Johnson also called Trump “the biggest threat to humanity in years.”
“MAGA furiously googles petite and puerile,” a TikTok user joked on the platform.
“Begging. petite. puerile. small… so calm while he destroys the reporter and the president. Brilliant,” another TikToker responded, lauding Johnson.
The Stylish Chef wrote, “Nothing scares a racist more than an Educated Black Man & Woman.”
“He’s intimidated by INTELLECTUAL BLACK PEOPLE. PERIOD,” another commented.
Not everyone agrees.
One Chicago resident is clearly a MAGA supporter and had a few pointed comments for Johnson.
“Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson claims Trump is intimidated by black men’s intellect and poses the greatest threat to humanity in years Lolol. He’s upset over withheld $800M federal funds for crime, yet he spent $600M on illegals, neglecting citizens, leaving Chicago $1B in debt and unable to fund education. Johnson is a threat to citizens in Chicago.”
After Trump announced the federal takeover of law enforcement in Washington on Monday, Johnson responded with a post on X.
“President Trump, we do not need the national guard, we need the federal government to invest in what works.”
Johnson went on to accuse Trump of spreading misinformation about violent crime in American cities. He also pointed out that Trump cut another $158 million in funding for violence prevention programs last week.
“These cuts follow the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and terminating more than $800 million in grants for anti-violence programs across the country, critical to our work to drive down crime and violence,” Johnson said.
Just like Washington, federal statistics show crime is also down in Chi-town.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser called Trump’s move to take over the city’s police department “unsettling and unprecedented,” according to USA Today. But she has pledged to work with Trump in an uneasy truce of sorts.
Some 800 National Guard members began arriving in what Trump has called a lawless city on Tuesday morning.
Trump is within his legal rights to temporarily take over law enforcement in Washington. But he cited a crime emergency, according to The Associated Press, but referred to the same crime rates that city officials say are already dropping noticeably.
