Historian and political commentator Victor Davis Hanson sharply criticized Brandon Johnson over his handling of crime in Chicago, pointing to a recent deadly shooting and broader concerns about public safety in the city.
Hanson’s remarks focused on the killing of Sheridan Gorman, which he linked to what he described as failures in enforcement and leadership.
He also referenced broader incidents of unrest and crime, including reports of large groups of youths engaging in looting and violence in parts of the city.
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“Mayor Johnson, who is the worst mayor in the history of Chicago, going all the way back to the gang killings, he stands there and an illegal alien who had been let out, had not been deported, had tuberculosis, and may or may not have been out killing somebody so he could join the Trend gang, shoots and kills this innocent girl who runs. He shoots her in the back. So it’s got all of the classic symptoms of a cowardly, despicable act, and he can’t even talk about it very much,” Hanson said.
Hanson criticized Johnson’s response to the incident, including comments he said the mayor made in its aftermath.
“And then he says, and we’re not going to let this affect our concern for every, every he said, all, every, all illegal aliens. Does this mean all the criminals that just happened?” Hanson said.
He also referenced imagery and messaging he said reflected broader policy positions, including criticism of immigration enforcement.
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“And then he’s speaking with a garbage truck that has abolished ice on it. He’s the mayor. He’s a complete buffoon,” Hanson said.
Hanson further pointed to recent unrest in Chicago, describing incidents involving groups of youths in commercial areas of the city.
“And he’s just had this huge riot. It’s all over the internet, and it’s on news where dozens, if not hundreds, of black teenage youths have gone through the million dollar mile and just swarmed things and beat people up and looted uncontrolled,” Hanson said.
He argued that the city’s leadership has not directly addressed what he described as a persistent crime issue.
“And you think, given that and the murders every weekend, that he would say, there is a crime problem among black youth, and we’re going to address it. And he’s not. He’s just blamed. All he can do is blame white people and call call people racist,” Hanson said.
Hanson also raised concerns about Chicago’s long-term trajectory, comparing it to conditions in other major cities.
“Why the the city goes bankrupt? I’m really worried about Chicago. It’s, it was, you know, Carl Sandburg, Chicago was a big, second biggest place in the country. It’s going the way of LA. We’re going to lose two big cities, Los Angeles and Chicago, in the sense that their downtown area is going to be uninhabitable,” Hanson said.
He concluded by criticizing what he described as a broader governing approach, which he argued contributes to ongoing challenges in large cities.
