Chicago's Murder Toll Exceeds Iraq War Deaths
By: Christopher Tremoglie
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
President Donald Trump made a claim on Tuesday that should raise red flags for every person in the country. He called out Chicago for its horrifying number of homicides each year. As usual, Democrats rebuked Trump's comments. They categorized them as unnecessary, hyperbolic, and untrue. They said Trump's comments were divisive. They did everything possible to demean Trump's assessment except tell the truth.
Yet, in reality, Trump appears to be right, and the facts prove it.
From 2018 to 2024, Chicago averaged approximately 654 homicides each year and a total of 4,580 murder victims. To put this into perspective, during Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Iraq War, there were 4,432 service members killed. During Operation Enduring Freedom, the military campaign in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, there were 2,354 service members killed. Suffice it to say, Chicago is more dangerous and unsafe than actual war zones.
Over the last ten years of available data for Chicago (2015 to 2024), there were 6,512 murder victims. This included four years in which there were over 715 homicides (2016, 2020, 2021, and 2022) and one with over 800 homicides (805 in 2021).
Chicago had three mayors during this time: Rahm Emanuel, Lori Lightfoot, and Brandon Johnson. Each was a Democrat.
Furthermore, the statistics don't include any other acts of violent crime during the same time frame, including carjackings, rapes, robberies, shootings, or theft.
"Chicago is the murder capital of the world," Trump posted on Tuesday (albeit in his trademark all caps).
Well, I can't say it is of the world — though, given the penchant for the United States having violent crime statistics that are unrivaled around the globe, it might not be that far off — it should unquestionably be considered the murder capital of the U.S.
Look no further than this past Labor Day weekend in Chicago, in which violent criminals continued their reign of terror. There were reportedly 58 people shot in the Windy City over the holiday weekend — eight of whom were killed. There were multiple mass shooting incidents in which teenagers were victims. Johnson and Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker largely ignored the crimes instead dedicating their efforts to brainwash the population into thinking that Trump's deployment of troops is an invasion instead of the rightful protection the city needs, since their elected Democratic leaders continue to fail them.
Yet, Democrats such as Pritzker and Johnson don't care. Based on their resistance to Trump's assistance, it's evident they would rather innocent people die than take extra measures to provide security and ensure safety. The people murdered in the streets of Chicago are clearly acceptable collateral damage as Pritzker and Johnson prioritize politics over protection. Despite the horrific statistics surrounding Chicago's homicide numbers, they have exhibited a preference for Chicagoans suffering at the hands of violent criminals to receive assistance from the president.
Consider Pritzker's own words.
"I'm aware that the president of the United States likes to go on television and beg me to call and ask him for troops. I find this extraordinarily strange, as Chicago does not want troops on our streets," he said. "When did we become a country where it's OK for the U.S. president to insist on national television that a state should call him to beg for anything, especially something we don't want? Have we truly lost all sense of sanity in this nation that we treat this as normal?"
Normal? Is having 58 people shot over the weekend normal? There were more people butchered in the streets of Chicago than in a war in the Middle East, and Pritzker has the audacity to mention the word normal? And the only thing that is "extraordinarily strange" is the fact that the governor prefers to let innocent people die than do the honorable thing, the decent thing, the right thing.
It's a sad reality. However, it is indicative of how fanatical and unhinged Democrats in the country have become. The country's third-most populous city, a once beautiful city and one of the nation's marvels, is now a beacon for violent crime. It's a harrowing reality that left-wing politicians, pundits, social media "influencers" and others regularly ignore.
The hundreds of innocent people murdered annually in the city are considered acceptable collateral damage so long as Democrats maintain their political influence and power. At some point, the innocent people continuously victimized by failed Democratic policies have to come to their senses. They have to live in a city that's more dangerous than a war zone. They can be protected and live in a safe area.
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But apparently only for the regular folk...
That's crazy.
In the 1990's approximately 22,000 people were murdered in NYC and LA combined.
I dont recall the military being sent in.
Deflection alert
I'm sorry that I'm better at looking up statistics than you are.
The premise of MAGA is that crime is worse than its ever been , THUS we need military intervention. That is not close to being true.
Chicago is not the most dangerous city in America, let alone in the world.
Chicago's crime rates today existed earlier in NYC and Los Angeles for decades. Trump lived in New York for all of that time period. Is there a record of him calling for the military to go rolling into NYC over those 23 years ?
Deflection?
Every act of violence is regrettable. It happens all too often and focusing solely on the location has become purely partisan. Rather than do the hard work of addressing the myriad issues that contribute to the crisis, too many would rather make a political point, as in deploying troops. A stunt to garner attention does not begin to offer a solution.
But they wish to live in a Police state with armed soldiers marching up and down the streets, manning check points, maintaining "order". That will make them feel safer.
Where has that happened or is this just another "I hate Trump because he is an R" dream?
For 22 years in a row, 1971 -1993, NYC murder totals were above 1,400 every single year. No military sent in.
For all of these 22 years the murder rate in NYC was as high as Chicagos is now.
New York City homicides and homicide rates, 1800-2023
Deflection?
No, it is called context.
Naturally.
Los Angeles murder totals 1980 - 1995
no military sent in
1980 -1,028
1985 - 777
1986 -831
1987- 812
1988- 736
1989-874
1990 -983
1991- 1,025
1992- 1,092
1993 -1,092
1994 -850
1995 -838
Read more:
Deflection?
Context.
That's the second deflection.
Really? There have been between 110,000 and 600,000 murders in Chicago?
Oh, I forgot that many rightwing conservative MAGAites don't really think of anyone else but themselves when calculating death tolls. It's a pretty stupid reach though for them to try and claim considering " Chicago's Murder Toll Exceeds Iraq War Deaths" is just blatantly false on the face of it. But they're desperate to try and attack Democrats and Democrat run cities because MAGAites want to take over America and root out any remnant of dissent just like their Dear Leader wants them to. Let's face it, these rightwing goose-stepping conservative bigots don't give a fuck about the Chicagoans that are dying, they just want to use anything and everything they can to "own the libs".
Are Afghani and Iraqi combatants fighting in Chicago? Of course not. But hey, don't let that stop you from introducing stupid shit.
If you really think sending in the Guard or the Marines would help, then why not give the money you would spend on those forces to these cities so they can pay more cops?
Also, if you really think the military would help, then explain what they would do that cops can’t do. Also explain why there should be two different agencies patrolling the streets.
Because it was the CITY that cut funding and refuse to pay for more law enforcement.
Because they aren't hamstrung by political asshats like Brandon Johnson and the rest of the liberal shitbags running that city.
So, what are the governor and the mayor of Chicago doing to fight crime and murders in Chicago. 58 shootings and 8 deaths on a three-day weekend seem like a lot. And the mayor of LA let the situation get out of hand and the LA police had to be called in to stop the illegals from rioting.
And you can deflect all day long, but the reality of these situations speaks for itself.
Depends who the victims are. To the Pritzkers of the world, the victims are the people doing the shooting and they need to be protected. Those guns from Indiana apparently control them and leave them no choice but to shoot people (though they lack any power over their neighbors a few blocks aways, oddly)
Just like we saw in LA, Johnson is giving anti-Trump speeches and allowing it all to continue. Even the D.C. mayor come to her senses and acknowledged the positive effect made in her city.
Crime rates are increased by overcrowding
As do increased poverty levels. Combined they are a recipe for high crime. Regardless of what side of this argument you're on, the fact is that neither political side wants high crime rates, they both want safe cities for our citizens. The differences come in how each side believes they get to lower crime rates. Democrats want to invest in the community and reduce poverty levels and overcrowding by funding low-income housing and food banks and job fairs for those in poverty-stricken areas. Republicans think that money is better spent on more cops, more policing, more arrests, longer prison sentences while cutting funding and investment in housing, food banks and financially struggling communities in general.
But again, both sides want lower crime rates and safer communities which is something we can all agree on.
Chicago population has declined about 15% over the last 75 years. It's murder rate has increased by almost 4 times since then, despite massive advances in medical care that make surviving gun violence much more likely.
The most dangerous areas in Chicago are the least densely populated. Englewood, one of the most famously bad neighborhoods, has lost 70% of its population. The safest areas are among the most densely populated.
Overpopulation has nothing to do with Chicago's violence problem.
overcrowding is part of the reason people who don't commit much crime move if they can, this leaves a concentration of those more likely to cause problems and the cycle repeats. Politicians then cater to this group to retain their power and things keep getting worse.
Again, the most dense areas are among the safest. If what you said were true, it would be the opposite. "overcrowding" simply doesn't explain the reality of crime. As always, the proof is what actually happens.