President Donald Trump criticized Chicago’s response to a violent weekend that left six dead and 39 wounded, while separately, over a dozen Washington, D.C. police officials faced termination for allegedly manipulating crime statistics.
A series of shootings across Chicago over the weekend, including a mass drive-by shooting in the Princeton Park neighborhood Friday night, resulted in multiple casualties. Chicago police confirmed that 13 people were shot in the Princeton Park incident alone when two suspects fired from an SUV into a crowd.
Trump’s Statement
In a post to Truth Social, Trump referenced the Chicago violence and questioned Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s response. “Lots of Killing going on in Chicago. 22 people shot, at least 4 Dead. Why isn’t Governor Pritzker calling me for help. I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH,” Trump wrote.
Trump pointed to his administration’s work in Washington, D.C., where he previously deployed National Guard troops as part of a crime reduction initiative.
DC Police Crime Data Scandal
Meanwhile, at least 13 officials within Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department faced termination or discipline following an internal investigation into crime statistics manipulation. Senior police officials allegedly downgraded serious offenses into lesser categories in official reporting systems to artificially lower violent crime figures.
Second District Commander Tatjana Savoy and former Third District Commander Michael Pulliam received termination notices, along with at least one police captain and numerous supervisory officials. Cmdr. Pulliam had previously been suspended after allegations emerged that violent crimes were intentionally reclassified.
According to a House Oversight Committee report, district commanders told investigators they felt pressure from leadership to “fix” crime numbers and create “the perception of low crime in the District.” The alleged manipulation focused on reclassifying serious assaults, robberies, and firearms offenses.
Political Fallout
The scandal became politically significant because city officials and national Democrats had repeatedly cited improving Washington crime statistics as evidence of effective public safety policies. Federal prosecutors reviewing cases from the department subsequently upgraded certain assault and firearms charges, suggesting suspects had been undercharged by local authorities.
Critics argue that manipulated crime data distorts public understanding of crime trends and affects policy decisions, resource allocations, and public trust in law enforcement.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Washington and Chicago bureaus contributed to this report.
