Former US President Donald Trump sharply criticised Illinois and Chicago leadership after a shocking assault in which a 26-year-old woman riding a subway train was doused in gasoline and set on fire. The attack, allegedly carried out by a man with 72 prior arrests, has intensified political debate over crime and policing in the city.
Speaking during the annual White House Thanksgiving turkey pardon, Trump said crime in Chicago had become “out of control” and blamed “liberal judges” and Democratic officials for repeatedly releasing dangerous offenders. He expressed outrage that the suspect — who has multiple felony convictions — had been freed on bond despite prosecutors requesting that he remain behind bars.
Trump urged Illinois leaders to permit federal troops into Chicago, claiming the move would curb violence. He directly criticised Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, arguing that federal forces had successfully reduced crime in other US cities and could do the same in Chicago. He warned that the city risked being “lost” if decisive intervention did not happen soon.
The White House later escalated the criticism, issuing a statement accusing Democratic policies — including Illinois’s no-cash-bail law — of creating a “blood-soaked catastrophe” that enabled repeat violent offenders to remain on the streets. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the assault “preventable” and argued that the suspect “should have been locked behind bars, not roaming the streets,” linking the incident to broader concerns over bail reform.
Illinois officials have rejected Trump’s demands, calling federal intervention unconstitutional and accusing the White House of overstating Chicago’s crime problem for political gain. The clash comes as public scrutiny intensifies over criminal justice reform, repeat offenders, and electronic monitoring — particularly after reports that the suspect had violated monitoring conditions multiple times before the incident.
The victim, identified as Bethany MaGee, is hospitalised in critical condition as police continue the investigation.
