illi News - Chicago: ICYMI: Mayor Brandon Johnson Responds to Trump With A Call of His Own: Don't Threaten Our Communities, Invest in Them

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CHICAGO ~ Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has called upon President Donald Trump to take action in reducing violence across the country by investing in the needs of working people. In a recent statement, Mayor Johnson challenged the President to use federal resources to address issues such as affordable housing, access to groceries and gas, public institutions, mental health, jobs, education, healthcare, transportation, and environmental justice.

During a press conference yesterday, Mayor Johnson stated, "Consider this a call, Mr. President. I'm calling on you to invest in building more affordable homes across this country. I'm calling on you to respond to the needs of people who cannot afford groceries and gas. I'm calling on you to invest in our public institutions." He continued by challenging Trump to make investments in areas that directly impact violence rates in cities.

The Mayor's comments come at a time when over 360,000 Illinoisans are losing food assistance due to cuts made by the Trump administration to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In response to these cuts, Mayor Johnson took proactive measures by issuing an executive order in November that authorized emergency measures to address hunger and food insecurity within Chicago.

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In April of this year, Mayor Johnson invested over $300,000 into 67 community-based organizations that work towards expanding food availability and supporting vulnerable populations within Chicago. Despite Trump's dismissal of lowering housing costs for working families as "unimportant," Mayor Johnson has made it a priority to invest in affordable housing and break barriers for homeownership for Chicagoans.

In June, Mayor Johnson launched the HomeGrown Purchase Assistance Program with $21 million from his $1.25 billion Housing and Economic Development Bond. This program aims to help eligible homebuyers achieve homeownership by providing assistance for down payments and closing costs. Additionally, in April of this year alone, Mayor Johnson invested over $300 million into 15 affordable housing developments across Chicago.

Mayor Johnson's top priority remains to drive down violence and create lasting safety in every community within Chicago. Under his administration, Chicago saw its lowest homicide rate since 1965 in 2025. The Mayor continues to mobilize resources to combat gun violence and respond to traumatic incidents within communities through investments in mental and behavioral healthcare, affordable housing, and Community Violence Intervention partnerships.

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The efforts of the Johnson administration have shown results, with zero homicides during the Memorial Day holiday weekend and the least violent Fourth of July holiday weekend since 2019. These milestones align with the ongoing modernization of the Chicago Police Department's Detective's Bureau and investments in expanded mental health services.

Mayor Johnson's call for action from President Trump highlights the importance of investing in working people and addressing underlying issues that contribute to violence rates across the country. As Mayor Johnson stated, "If you are the big man and the big person that you claim to be, make those investments, and I will put everything that I love on the fact that violence will go down across this country."

Filed Under: Government, City

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