Dem mayor probed for racial hiring discrimination claims Trump admin ‘reflects the country club’

Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is currently facing a federal civil rights probe over his hiring practices, claimed Friday on MSNBC that President Donald Trump’s administration “reflects the country club” while his “clearly reflects the country.”

The Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a civil rights investigation into Johnson’s hiring practices after he claimed to lead “the most diverse administration,” citing possible violations of federal anti-discrimination law. During an appearance on “The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” Johnson took aim at Trump’s Cabinet and top appointees, suggesting they were unqualified and did not represent America.

“This [Trump] administration is working overtime to work to intimidate the people of Chicago, and quite frankly, the people of our country. I’m very proud that I have a group of incredibly talented, highly qualified, diverse Chicagoans who represent my administration,” Johnson told host Jen Psaki. “We have the most talented, diverse administration in the history of Chicago, and in fact, my administration clearly reflects the country, while the president’s administration reflects the country club.”

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“There’s a fundamental disagreement around how we should approach these critical times that we’re living in, and our approach is to ensure that the interests of working people are front and center. That’s what my administration reflects, and that’s what the people of this country want to see in administrations across this country,” Johnson explained.

Despite the DOJ launching an active civil rights probe into possible racial discrimination in Chicago’s city hiring practices, Johnson redirected criticism toward Trump.

“Well, you would be hard pressed to find someone in the Trump administration that is actually qualified or actually have the skill that is necessary and the background to actually represent the interest of the American people,” Johnson said. “So when you think about the Department of Education, not qualified, when you think about Health and Human Services, unqualified. Look, the bottom line is this, that the people of the city of Chicago elected me to speak to their interests.”

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division initiated the probe following Johnson’s remarks at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, where he highlighted the number of black officials in his administration. He stated that positions such as deputy mayors, the budget director, and the chief operations officer are held by black individuals.

Some supporters argued that Johnson was simply demonstrating his commitment to building a government that reflects Chicago’s population. Johnson pushed back against the DOJ investigation, calling it a “divisive tactic.”

Before the DOJ launched its investigation, Johnson was already facing abysmal approval ratings. A February poll showed just 6.6% of voters viewed him favorably, while nearly 80% held an unfavorable opinion of him, worse than any of five potential 2027 challengers.

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