Ex-Chicago Police Chief Criticizes Illinois Democrats for Opposing Trump’s Offer of Federal Help on Crime
Former Chicago Police Department head Jody Weis says Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson are ‘afraid’ a Trump-led crackdown would succeed, after the president said he would ‘go in’ to address city crime
Former Chicago Police Department superintendent Jody Weis on Tuesday accused Illinois’ top Democrats of fearing humiliation if President Donald Trump’s planned federal crackdown on crime in Chicago produced results, and criticized Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson for rejecting federal assistance.
Weis made the comments in an interview with the National News Desk after Mr. Trump declared in public remarks that "We're going in. I didn't say when, we're going in," signaling an intent to send federal resources to cities he has said are struggling with violent crime. Pritzker and Johnson had earlier warned against presidential intervention in Chicago.
Weis, who led the Chicago Police Department, said the governor and mayor were effectively accepting current crime figures by turning down help. "The governor and the mayor said they don't want any help. So, to me, when you refuse help you are saying you are happy with the numbers — and that is absolutely unacceptable in Chicago right now," he said.
In the interview, Weis also criticized what he described as the city's high level of intracommunity violence and singled out Pritzker for what he characterized as optics that did not reflect the realities on the ground. "Let him walk in the Austin neighborhood or the Inglewood neighborhoods at 11 o'clock, because that's where many of his" — Weis did not complete the sentence in the clip provided by the outlet.
Mr. Trump’s recent actions in Washington, D.C., where he touted a crackdown on crime, have renewed a national debate over the role of federal law enforcement in local policing. City leaders including Pritzker and Johnson have said they are wary of federal intervention, arguing it can politicize public safety or undermine local control. Their offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Weis’s remarks.
Chicago has long been central to discussions about urban crime and federal support. Past administrations have at times deployed federal resources, including investigatory assistance and task forces, while local officials have emphasized investment in community-based policing and social services as complements to enforcement.
Weis’s comments align with a strain of law enforcement opinion that argues federal involvement can bring additional manpower and tools to address violent crime, while critics caution that such moves can inflame political tensions and complicate existing local strategies.
The exchange underscores a broader political moment in which crime policy has become a focal point of contention between national and local officials, and between the two major parties, as the 2026 election cycle approaches. Debates over the appropriate balance of federal assistance, local governance and community-based approaches to reducing violence are likely to continue as stakeholders weigh potential interventions and their expected effects.