Chicago had a big party Friday night, but not the kind you’d want to be invited to—unless your idea of a good time involves riots, mace, stun guns, and a teen death toll. The festivities kicked off after a tree lighting ceremony downtown, because nothing says holiday cheer like a full-blown street war involving 300 teenagers and a few dozen unlucky cops.
Eight people were shot, including six kids—yes, actual children—ranging from 13 to 17. One 14-year-old didn’t make it. Another 18-year-old was wounded. Police officers were attacked, injured, and one was even sent to the hospital. The city’s leadership responded with their usual strategy: shrug, point fingers, and hope the news cycle moves on before anyone starts asking real questions.
President Trump, never one to miss a chance to call out blue-state dysfunction, chimed in on Truth Social, noting that Chicagoans are now chanting “BRING IN TRUMP!!!” like he’s Batman and the Bat-Signal just lit up over the Loop. Honestly, he might be the only one willing to actually do something at this point.
But don’t worry—Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s mayor (whose name isn’t even worth remembering at this point unless there’s a quiz on how to run a city into the ground) are bravely refusing federal help. Because nothing says leadership like letting your downtown turn into a war zone while you pat yourself on the back for being “progressive.”
According to Alderman Brian Hopkins, the 300-strong mob of teens came armed with mace and stun guns. That’s right—this wasn’t just some rowdy crowd of kids blowing off steam. This was organized chaos. But the city’s leadership would rather pretend this is just another Friday night than admit they’ve completely lost control.
And if that wasn’t enough, just days earlier, a man with a rap sheet longer than War and Peace decided to set a woman on fire on a Chicago train. No, that’s not a typo. Set. A. Woman. On. Fire. The suspect, Lawrence Reed, had at least a dozen prior arrests, including arson and battery. Prosecutors begged to keep him behind bars. But a Chicago judge, in a move only a “blue city” court could justify, released him with an ankle monitor like he was a teenager who missed curfew, not a human flamethrower.
So let’s recap: The streets are on fire (literally), kids are getting shot, cops are under attack, and the city’s response is basically, “Let’s wait and see what happens.” Meanwhile, the people actually living in this mess are begging for someone—anyone—to bring order. And Trump, ever the villain in the left’s bedtime stories, is the only one offering more than thoughts and prayers.
But don’t expect Chicago’s leadership to cave anytime soon. Accepting federal help would mean admitting their policies are a disaster, and that’s just not on-brand. Better to let the city burn than let Trump look like he was right.
This is what happens when ideology trumps reality. When your number-one priority is appeasing activists on Twitter instead of protecting citizens in your own city, things fall apart—and fast. The people running Chicago seem to think that if they just ignore the chaos long enough, it’ll magically fix itself. Spoiler alert: it won’t.
Maybe it’s time to stop pretending this is just some unfortunate blip. Maybe it’s time to admit that the soft-on-crime, let-chaos-reign approach has failed. Maybe it’s time to stop treating criminals like misunderstood victims and start treating law-abiding citizens like they matter.
But don’t hold your breath. In today’s political theater, admitting failure is the biggest crime of all.