In a Thursday interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) addressed President Donald Trump ordering federal police officers to her city and other cities across the country to help quell ongoing violent protests.
Lightfoot warned sending federal agents to Chicago “would be a disaster” and similar to what is happening in Portland, OR, with exacerbating the problem rather than helping.
“The reality is sending in federal agents that don’t know Chicago, don’t know our streets, aren’t trained in our use of force, which is de-escalation and only use of deadly force as a last and only result, that would be a disaster,” Lightfoot told MSNBC’s Al Sharpton. “We’ve seen that happen. We see what’s going on in Portland. But also, this is going to exacerbate, not help the problem, which is why I’ve drawn such a sharp line.”
Lightfoot emphasized the importance of stopping gun trafficking to end the violence in Chicago, adding the federal government “is uniquely qualified” to assist with solving that issue.
“That is something that the federal government is uniquely qualified to do, and they’ve advocated their responsibility,” Lightfoot stated. “We need that now. Gun trafficking across state lines is real. It’s showing up in Chicago. We need this help now.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
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