Joe Scarborough Corners Chicago Gov. Johnson After He Dodges Police Funding Question [WATCH]

MSNBC’s Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough pressed Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday after Johnson repeatedly avoided answering whether he would support adding more police officers to help combat crime in the city, as reported by The Independent Journal Review.

The exchange came as President Donald Trump has floated the possibility of a federal crackdown in Chicago, including the potential deployment of the National Guard, to address violent crime.

“I’m curious, would you also like to get federal funding to help put 5,000 more cops on the street in Chicago, would that help drive down crime?” Scarborough asked Johnson.

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Johnson responded by saying that policing was not the “full strategy” to address violence in the city. Scarborough pushed back, clarifying his question.

“No, I understand that. You’ve talked about the other things you want, and I said those are good and important programs, but I’m asking also, would 5,000 more police officers on the street in Chicago be helpful to go along with all of those social programs that a lot of cities are engaging in and having success with?”

Johnson pointed to other funding priorities, including housing and mental health. “I believe that the city of Chicago and cities across America would be safer if we actually had affordable housing,” Johnson said.

Scarborough pressed again.

“Okay, but that’s not the question I asked. My question is, and I just need a yes or a no. Do you believe the streets of Chicago would be safer, if you got all of those extraordinary programs put back into place, which do have a history of being successful, if that’s complimented by having 5,000 more cops on the streets of Chicago?”

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Johnson declined to answer directly, saying the problem could not be narrowed to just policing. “What I’m saying is policing and affordable housing, is policing and mental and behavior healthcare services, is policing and youth employment. It’s a full package,” Johnson said.

Holy crap, Joe Scarborough just eviscerated Chicago’s mayor by asking him five times a simple question: would more police help with Chicago’s crime. He can’t answer! What world are we living in when MSNBC hosts are asking actual questions of Democrats?! pic.twitter.com/03vJzd8wQP

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) August 26, 2025

Chicago has faced rising violence in recent years, hitting a 25-year high in 2021 with 797 homicides, according to the Chicago Tribune.

As of August 26, 2025, there have been 262 homicides reported in the city — 117 fewer than at the same point in 2024. Violent crime overall fell 22 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year, the Tribune reported.

Trump said Friday that he would “probably” focus next on Chicago after the federal crime crackdown in Washington, D.C. Since the federal takeover began on August 7, authorities in the capital have reported 1,007 arrests and seized 111 illegal firearms, according to U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro.

Johnson and Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker have pushed back, saying Trump would be violating the Constitution if he sent the National Guard into Chicago.

Johnson also accused the president on August 11 of spreading misinformation about Chicago crime statistics, arguing that federal intervention would “undermine” public safety rather than improve it.

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