Former Chicago Mayor Denounces Trump Crime Claims Amid Federal Intervention Plans

President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that Chicago is the "worst and most dangerous city in the world" and the "murder capital" to justify his threat of deploying National Guard troops there, despite significant pushback and fact-checking from various sources. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have disputed Trump's claims, citing data showing a steady decline in crime rates in Chicago over the past four years, including a more than 30% drop in homicides year-to-date. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace and CNN host John Berman have fact-checked Trump's assertions, highlighting that cities in Republican-led states like Memphis have higher violent crime rates than Chicago, which does not rank in the top 10 U.S. cities for violent crime. Critics argue that Trump's rhetoric is politically motivated and distracts from his administration's cuts to law enforcement funding nationwide. Local officials and commentators emphasize that Chicago does not face an emergency situation warranting federal troop deployment, and warn against misinformation fueled by conservative media. The dispute underscores broader political tensions around crime, public safety, and federal intervention in Democratic-run cities.