ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, in an interview on Fox News’ ‘The Will Cain Show,’ criticized Democratic leaders for their reluctance to work with President Donald Trump on addressing Chicago’s violent crime epidemic. Smith claimed that Democratic figures, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, are motivated by ego and a fear of losing power rather than a genuine desire to improve public safety. He argued that the refusal to cooperate with Trump’s federal intervention plan is driven by the desire to protect their political standing rather than addressing the city’s escalating crime crisis. Smith also warned that Republicans are equally guilty of mindlessly supporting Trump’s agenda for similar reasons.
Trump has signaled his intention to send federal troops into Chicago to address the city’s violent crime. In a Truth Social post shared Tuesday, he wrote, ‘At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 8 people were killed… Pritzker needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet. I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, & soon. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’ Washington, D.C., has seen a decrease in reported crime in recent weeks after Trump ordered the deployment of the U.S. National Guard and expanded federal law enforcement presence in the city last month.
Trump’s calls for similar federal intervention into Chicago have sparked pushback from Pritzker and Johnson. The governor has said there is no crime emergency in Chicago and that Trump is ‘attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.’ He also called Trump’s idea ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘un-American.’ Johnson wrote on X last month, ‘What the President is proposing would be the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st Century. The City of Chicago does not need a military occupation.’ Smith argued that while Democratic leaders are protecting their egos, Republicans are also guilty of blindly backing Trump’s agenda. However, Smith said crime and death in Chicago must take priority over political squabbling. ‘But as a Black man speaking to the murders that you highlighted and articulated, that’s my primary concern and that should usurp all concerns over all other things when it comes to what we’re talking about,’ he told Cain. ‘People are getting killed in the streets, particularly in the streets of Chicago.’