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WATCH: Chicago Mayor On Federal Troops: ‘We Can’t Just Allow Anyone To Come Into Chicago, Play Police In Our Streets’

"...if they cross that line, we will not hesitate to use every tool at our disposal to stop troops and unwanted agents in our city.”

   DailyWire.com
Lightfoot
Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ripped the idea of using federal troops to help stabilize her city, stating, “We can’t just allow anyone to come into Chicago, play police in our streets, in our neighborhoods, when they don’t know the first thing about our city.”

Host Jake Tapper began his interview with Lightfoot by pointing out shootings were up 47% and homicides up 51% from last year. He noted, “You are accepting federal help from the Trump administration. Not everyone in Chicago is happy about that. A few nights ago, you had protesters outside your house unhappy with your decision to work with the Trump administration. What’s the help you’re accepting from the Trump administration? And what is your message to those protesters?”

Lightfoot argued, “This is not about working with the Trump administration … I have drawn a very hard line. We will not allow federal troops in our city. We will not tolerate unnamed agents taking people off the street, violating their rights, and holding them in custody. That’s not happening here in Chicago.”

Lightfoot threatened federal troops, saying, “So, I have drawn a very, very bright line. I have made that very clear to every federal authority that I have spoken with. And they understand that, if they cross that line, we will not hesitate to use every tool at our disposal to stop troops and unwanted agents in our city.”

Lightfoot challenged Trump’s assertion that his administration could help solve Chicago’s problems by going in with 50-75,000 people, adding that Chicago’s leaders “just don’t want to ask, maybe for political reasons, but they don’t want to ask. It’s a disgrace.”

Lightfoot argued that what was needed was more gun control.

“The fact of the matter is, our gun problem is related to the fact that we have too many illegal guns on our street, 60 percent of which, 60 percent of which come from states outside of Illinois,” she said. “We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons. That is hurting cities like Chicago. That is the thing that, if the president really wanted to help, that and the other things I identified in my letter, he could do today, tomorrow. But he’s not really interested in helping in that way.”

Tapper asked, “Would you support an increased federal presence in Chicago, as long as they coordinated with local officials, local law enforcement and the U.S. attorney?”

“Well, I have said it before and I will say it again, no troops, no agents that are coming in outside of our knowledge, notification, and control that are violating people’s constitutional rights,” the mayor replied. “That’s the — that’s the framework. We can’t just allow anyone to come into Chicago, play police in our streets, in our neighborhoods, when they don’t know the first thing about our city. That’s a recipe for disaster.”

 

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