But not so much that she can’t still get salty for a minute and drop an expletive on live radio, necessitating the use of the dump button.
"They didn’t elect us to stand on … petty politics," Lightfoot said on the Mully & Haugh Show on 670 The Score. "They need us to be together and get **** done."
Lightfoot was referencing her relationship with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, with whom she has been working closely during this national emergency. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 6,980 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Illinois, including 3,123 cases in Chicago, according to reports.
Nothing is more important in slowing the spread of the outbreak than residents staying home, as Lightfoot has implored time and time again. She’s been pleased with the progress on that front lately.
"I get a report every morning about compliance and dispersal orders," she said. "Really for the most part, people are getting the message. We got a couple knuckleheads out there, but we’ll deal with them. But for the most part, people understand you just got to stay home."
Lightfoot has been greatly appreciative of the work of Pritzker, state public health officials, first responders, essential workers and many more. She just wishes there was help of any sort from the federal government.
"People are rising to the occasion," Lightfoot said. "We prepare all year round for these kinds of emergencies. I mean, this is unprecedented, of course. But we are doing OK in terms of our stockpile of the personal protective equipment, the PPE that you hear a lot about. Ventilators, we’re in pretty good shape for now. But all of it is with a qualifier – I just don’t think the federal government has kept up its strategic stockpile, so I don’t think they have the resources and equipment to actually help us if they were so inclined. And the partnership with the state and governor has been great, because we have to. This is a relationship now forged in tragedy. Really, I think it grows stronger every single day.
"We’re all trying to step up in this unprecedented moment. There’s no playbook for any elected official that tells you how to deal with a pandemic. But I’ll tell ya, coming out of this, we’re going to write one."
Lightfoot's steely demeanor has become a source of lightheartedness on social media, as her stern face has been cropped into many iconic pictures to create funny memes. She has gotten a kick out of that while also emphasizing that she won’t change her straightforward approach.
"I’m not worried about my next job," she said. "I’m just worried about doing the best job I can in this moment. People elected me to be bold and break from the status quo. So I’ve never shied away my whole life from making the right calls – (which are) not necessarily the most popular calls."