Trump Slams Chicago Leadership After Train Attack; Says Crime ‘Out of Control’

US President Donald Trump sharply criticised Chicago’s leadership after a horrifying subway attack left a 26-year-old woman critically burned. The assailant, reportedly a man with 72 prior arrests, allegedly doused the victim with gasoline and set her on fire inside a moving train — a case that has reignited national debate on repeat offenders and bail reforms.

Speaking during the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon at the White House, Trump said violent crime in Chicago had spiralled beyond control and blamed what he called “liberal judges” and Illinois’ criminal justice policies for enabling repeat violent offenders.

“Crime in Chicago is out of control”

Trump said the victim, identified as Bethany MaGee, was “a beautiful young woman whose life has been destroyed by someone who should never have been free.” He highlighted the suspect’s long criminal history — eight felony convictions and dozens of misdemeanors — and condemned the decision to release him on bond despite prosecutors urging detention.

“They’ll let him out again. The liberal judges will let him out again,” Trump said, renewing his demand that Illinois officials allow federal troops into Chicago. He claimed that similar interventions in other cities had reduced crime and repeated his long-standing accusation that Chicago officials refuse federal help for political reasons.

Trump targets Illinois officials

The President singled out Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, accusing them of incompetence and negligence.

“We’re ready to go. Chicago needs help — and fast,” Trump said. “We’re going to lose a great city if we don’t do something quickly.”

The White House later escalated the criticism, blaming policies such as Illinois’s no-cash-bail law, which officials argued allowed dangerous offenders to remain at large. The statement called the situation a “blood-soaked catastrophe created by radical soft-on-crime policies.”

According to the White House, the suspect had recently been released on electronic monitoring, had violated conditions multiple times and yet faced no immediate consequences.

White House Press Secretary reacts

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned Democratic-led policies in a strong statement and on X (formerly Twitter), asking how a man with such an extensive criminal history was free.

“These liberal soft-on-crime policies threaten the safety of law-abiding Americans. Enough is enough,” she posted.

She emphasised that the President is “fighting tooth and nail” to restore safety in major cities and to provide stronger federal support for local law enforcement.

Illinois officials push back

Illinois leaders have maintained that federal troop deployment would be unconstitutional and accused Trump of exaggerating crime trends for political gain. Governor Pritzker and Trump have also recently clashed publicly over inflation and rising Thanksgiving food prices.

As MaGee remains in critical condition, the incident has intensified scrutiny on Chicago’s criminal justice system, bail reforms, and the repeated release of habitual offenders — issues likely to dominate political discourse in the coming weeks.