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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that federal forces are prepared to intervene in Chicago if Illinois officials request assistance, using the White House Thanksgiving turkey pardon ceremony to deliver sharp criticism of Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson and Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker.
“We’re ready to go,” President Trump said. He accused Johnson of incompetence and urged Pritzker to “invite us in” to help address violence in the city. The president said federal teams had already been “moving toward Chicago,” although the administration is waiting for the state to authorize involvement.
“They burned the woman; they burned this beautiful woman,” President Trump said, referring to Bethany MaGee, 26. She was the victim of a Nov. 17 attack on a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train, where authorities say she was doused in gasoline and set on fire by 50-year-old Lawrence Reed.
President Trump shifted between humor and policy during the Rose Garden ceremony. After formally pardoning two turkeys, he turned to crime and public safety, arguing that his administration had made Washington, D.C., safe. He suggested that similar results could be achieved in Chicago within 4 to 8 weeks if federal forces were permitted to operate in the city.
He cited recent incidents in Chicago as evidence that “it’s out of control”. He claimed the federal government could deliver what he described as fast improvements similar to actions taken in D.C. and Memphis.
The remarks came during what is traditionally a lighthearted Thanksgiving event, although President Trump used the setting to repeat criticism of Pritzker and other Democratic leaders.
“On a more serious note, as we gather around the dinner table — I’d like to lose a few pounds too, by the way, and I’m not going to lose it on Thanksgiving, I can tell you that, because I’m going to have a turkey,” President Trump said. He then gestured toward the pardoned birds. “But it’s not going to be that one.”
He closed his remarks with a holiday message. “I hope all Americans will have the chance to enjoy the fellowship of family and friends and renew our faith in God’s providence.”