In a fiery speech during the traditional Thanksgiving turkey pardon, President Donald Trump launched a fierce attack on Chicago’s leadership, calling crime in the city “out of control” and demanding the right to send in the National Guard.
The President’s outburst comes just a week after a shocking and brutal attack on a Chicago ‘L’ train. Bethany MaGee, 26, was allegedly set on fire by 50-year-old Lawrence Reed—a man with a staggering 72 prior arrests.
A “Beautiful Woman” and a Repeat Offender
Trump focused his anger on the case, highlighting that Reed was out on bond despite prosecutors wanting him locked up.
“They burned this beautiful woman riding in a train. A man was arrested 72 times. 72 times. Think of that,” Trump said from the White House. “And they’ll let him out again, the liberal judges will let him out again.”
This horrific incident occurred amid a violent weekend in the city that also saw a teenager killed and eight others injured in separate downtown shootings.
“We’re Ready to Go”: Trump’s Push for Troops
For months, President Trump has tried to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, similar to moves made in other cities like Los Angeles and Memphis. He claims these deployments caused crime to “plummet.”
However, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are having none of it. They have strongly opposed the move, calling it unconstitutional and denying that the city is in the kind of crisis the White House describes.
This hasn’t stopped Trump, who has even suggested using the powerful Insurrection Act to force the issue.
“But we’re ready to go,” Trump stated. “We have a governor that thinks it’s wonderful that only like seven people were killed this week… It’s horrible what’s happening in Chicago.”
His criticism turned personal, calling the mayor “incompetent” and the governor a “big fat slob.” He vowed that a federal response could make Chicago “totally safe” in a matter of weeks.
A Broken System? Critics Point to Judge’s Decision
The attack on Bethany MaGee is being cited by critics as a perfect example of a broken justice system. They argue that career criminals are being released back onto the streets to target innocent people.
Court documents reveal a troubling backstory for the alleged attacker, Lawrence Reed. Just months before the train attack, he was accused of knocking a social worker unconscious in a hospital psychiatric ward.
At that time, in August, Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez denied a prosecution request to keep Reed jailed. Transcripts from the hearing show the judge telling prosecutors, “I can’t keep everybody in jail because the State’s Attorney wants me to.”
Despite being ordered onto electronic monitoring, records show Reed repeatedly violated his curfew and movement restrictions in the days leading up to the alleged attack on November 17.
Surveillance video from the train, described in court documents, shows the suspect coming up behind the woman, pouring a liquid on her head and body, and setting her on fire.
