In a recent press availability, Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson delivered sharp criticism of President Donald Trump’s economic policies, particularly their effects on working-class families.
Johnson described the Windy City as the most ‘pro-worker’ city in the United States but lamented the ‘hostility’ coming from Washington.
He stated, ‘The fact that the President of the United States of America is cutting off food supply and medicine to working people and families across this country — that is an act of war.’
The Mayor emphasized the urgent need for bold leadership to confront these challenges, asserting, ‘We can’t tippy toe.’
In response to a reporter’s inquiry on how to collaborate with the Trump administration despite the adversarial relationship, Johnson referenced Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s State of the State address from February.
Pritzker had drawn parallels between the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany and Trump’s appeal during times of inflation and societal unrest.
Johnson recalled, ‘Governor Pritzker… offered up a warning. You have a president that is cutting off medicine and food, a president that is working to erase culture. I mean, you can’t make this up. He’s doing it in plain sight.’
The Mayor commented on the troubling trend of how societies can quickly descend into authoritarianism, likening Trump’s actions to a playbook intended to erode the rights and history of marginalized communities.
He claimed, ‘He’s doing it right here in this country, against working people, erasing Black folks from museums and the history and the culture.’
Johnson passionately urged citizens to resist these developments, stating, ‘You have to fight it and resist it with everything that’s in you.’
Returning to his critique of the Trump administration, Johnson remarked that the President is ‘capturing the hopes and aspirations of working people and holding us hostage as he works to implement and annihilate democracy.’
In another layer of this ongoing conflict, Chicago is one of several municipalities, including Baltimore and Santa Clara, involved in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, aimed at halting the detrimental impacts of proposed budget cuts to federal agencies.
Chicago Deputy Corporation Counsel Steve Kane provided insight on the situation, stating, ‘Congress created these federal agencies. It funded them. But the president is trying to fire all these people and gut these agencies that Congress created.’
These proposed cuts are being framed as unconstitutional, as they disproportionately impact services essential to working-class citizens in Chicago.
Particularly affected are cuts to the Energy Department’s 2025 Small Business Expo, which was initially scheduled for June, as well as other limitations on clean energy programs vital to the city’s economy.
In May, Chicago took additional steps to address its budget deficits by hiring consulting firm Ernst & Young to help find solutions, as the city continues to grapple with the Trump administration’s threats.
These threats include withholding federal funding from ‘sanctuary cities,’ a classification that Chicago falls under due to its policies toward undocumented immigrants.
Although specific data on the impact of these federal cuts is scarce, it has been reported that the Department of Health & Human Services recently closed its regional office in Illinois, which had formerly provided assistance to 28,000 low-income families.
Moreover, federal efforts to consolidate real estate and office space have clashed with the needs of America’s third-largest city, resulting in shutdowns of offices for the Federal Transit Administration, SEC, Labor Relations Authority, and Civil Corps of Engineers.
Additionally, staffing-related cuts have also impacted federally owned art collections housed in Chicago, further compounding the challenges the city faces.
Mayor Johnson’s remarks reflect a broader concern among local leaders about the implications of federal policies on working families and essential services in Chicago.
As tensions continue to rise, the city’s commitment to resisting these policies appears firm, with local officials preparing to fight for resources that support their communities.
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