Trump revives calls for Chicago crackdown after deadly shooting

Source: USA Today

Updated Nov. 23, 2025. 5:25 p.m. ET


President Donald Trump revived calls to ramp up the federal government’s military crackdown in Chicago after a 14-year-old was killed and eight other teenagers were wounded during weekend shootings in the city’s bustling downtown corridor.

In a Nov. 22 Truth Social post, Trump described "massive crime and rioting" in downtown Chicago and argued Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson were "refusing Federal Government help for a situation that could be quickly remedied." "The people are chanting, BRING IN TRUMP!!!" he said.

Gunfire erupted Nov. 21 around 10 p.m. local time just two blocks from Millennium Park, where the popular "Cloud Gate" sculpture sits. Hours earlier, thousands had gathered in the park to watch fireworks and listen to live music during the city’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Johnson said the shots appeared to ring out during a "teen takeover" that brought large crowds of young people into the city. Officers nearby saw a "large group on the sidewalk" that began to scatter after the shots were fired, the Chicago Police Department said in an email to USA TODAY. They are still investigating the cause.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/23/donald-trump-chicago-downtown-shooting/87436350007/