Supt. Johnson Pushes Back At Trump Criticisms

Cover Image
Photo credit WBBM Newsradio/Steve Miller

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said he won’t get caught up in what he calls President Trump's negativity and remains focused on keeping the city safe.

Speaking to reporters at CPD Headquarters Monday afternoon, Johnson shrugged off many of Trump's criticisms -- and even took pride in some of them.

"For comments like that to be made, it just lets me know that I'm doing the right thing," Johnson said. "I'm moving Chicago in the direction it should be going."

In his address to the International Association of Chiefs of Police -- an event Chicago's top cop declined to attend -- Trump called out Johnson and claimed that Afghanistan is safer than parts of Chicago.

Several hours later, Johnson pointed out that many officers the President has criticized for not keeping the city safe spent their day keeping him safe.

"The national narrative that Chicago is a city on fire is just simply not true,” he said. “We have our challenges on the South and West Sides, but I want to remind people that we also have 17 neighborhoods in this city that are safer than Manhattan and L.A."

The superintendent also encouraged the president and anyone else willing to help reduce crime to "step up," but noted that solving the problem in one day is simply impossible.