As the White House flagged concern over what Trump Administration sees as surge in Chicago crime, particularly murders, it cited New Delhi’s relatively “low murder rate” to drive home the message of worrying scale of gun violence in Chicago. The White House’s comments come in the aftermath of a school shooting in Minnesota, as it seeks to push for greater federal intervention in the city.
On Friday , Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Illinois city's murder rate was 15 times higher than the Indian capital's in 2024. She added that Chicago's homicide rate was 25.5 per 100,000 residents according to city statistics, while Delhi's was 1.48. The White House also shared a chart showing the murder rates in 11 capitals around the world in 2024. While Washington topped the chart, New Delhi ranked ninth.However, Leavitt did not cite the sources for the data she provided. Notably, the National Crime Records Bureau has not released crime statistics for India since 2022.
Speaking about the rising case of violence in Chicago, Leavitt said, “For 13 consecutive years, Chicago has had the most murders of any US city." She claimed that illegal guns in Chicago outnumber those found in New York and Los Angeles. She also added that only 16 per cent of the city’s nearly 148,000 reported crimes this year have led to arrests, calling the number "unacceptable." About the Minneapolis school attack, where two children were killed, she said, "Any rational person knows it’s not a gun thing. We know it’s a mental health issue."
Earlier, Trump had said, "We will make other cities safe, too. Chicago is a mess. That will probably be our next one after this. They are screaming for us to come. African American ladies, beautiful ladies are saying, 'Please President Trump, come to Chicago, please.'" Leavitt in her press conference added that it is a “priority of this administration to ensure that America's cities are safe again.” She also slammed Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for saying that "there is nothing wrong with Chicago" and he doesn't need Trump's help.
Later, Trump also slammed Pritzker in a post on his Truth Social profile. “Governor Pritzker had 6 murders in Chicago this weekend. 20 people were shot. But he doesn’t want to ask me for help. Can this be possible? The people are desperate for me to STOP THE CRIME, something the Democrats aren’t capable of doing.
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