Chicago mayor quotes MLK to argue law enforcement is a 'sickness that has not led to safe communities'
Mayor Johnson argued he works hard to solve violence in Chicago because many of those involved 'look like me'
By Alexander Hall Fox News
Published September 20, 2025 7:00pm EDT
Mayor Brandon Johnson argues law enforcement is a 'sickness' that has not made Chicago safer
Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson gave a fiery news conference where he condemned President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime. At one point, he said, "Jails and incarceration and law enforcement is a sickness that has not led to safe communities."
During the news conference Tuesday, Johnson was asked about Trump’s suggestion he might send the National Guard to Chicago. Trump’s model of using anti-crime crackdowns was touted as a success by Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, who had initially expressed concern.
"Is there any reason for the president to deploy National Guard troops or other armed military personnel to Chicago to focus on crime or violence?" the reporter asked.
Johnson responded by paraphrasing a quotation from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., saying, "You know, Dr. King referred to militarism as a sickness. Unfortunately, this president is full of that sickness. There are no circumstances under which the deployment of American soldiers should be sent in cities across America."
https://www.foxnews.com/media/chicago-mayor-quotes-mlk-argue-law-enforcement-sickness-has-not-led-safe-communities