Democrats have controlled most big cities for decades, if not half-centuries or more. Our Democrat-enabling media outlets don't press mayors or governors when blue-city governance fails. They don't present the ugly facts. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Illinois) showed up for an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier on Special Report on Thursday, and found himself struggling with the facts.
Baier began by discussing a Fox News crime map showing which of the top most populated U.S. cities have the highest murder rates. "Why does Chicago have the highest murder rate of all the big cities?" he asked.
Pritzker replied by disputing that claim. "Well, we are not in the top 30, in terms of our murder rate," he said. Baier tried to rebut, but Pritzker kept going: "Our murder rate has been cut in half over the last four years, and every year, it’s gone down by double digits. And if you look at all of the violent crime over the last four years, they’ve all gone down." he said before
WLS-TV, the local ABC affiliate, didn't have that picture at all in January:
The year 2024 marked the first time in five years the city of Chicago saw fewer than 600 murders.
Still, 573 people in the city were murdered, according to data released by police Tuesday....
"Right now, we recorded the lowest number of homicides that we've seen since 2019. We've seen the 7% reduction in shootings, and a 4% reduction in shooting victims compared to the year of 2023," [Chicago Police Superintendent] Larry Snelling said.
Baier cut Pritzker off and read off Chicago’s number one ranking on his map.
Bret Baier makes a fool of JB Pritzker
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) October 24, 2025
JB Pritzker: We’re not in the top 30 in terms of our murder rate
Bret Baier: * shows the map of Chicago having the highest murder rate *
JB Pritzker: But Donald Trump!!!pic.twitter.com/37mee3wuHw
"Well, here’s a map –– most populous U.S. cities: 17.47 per 100,000 population. Chicago is number one over Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York and San Diego," Baier recited to Pritzker, with graphics on screen.
Pritzker kept with his murder-rate mantra: "Our murder rate has been cut in half…we’ve been doing the things that are necessary to bring crime down…we’ve invested in community violence interruption. We’ve invested in police. I’ve added more state police than any governor in quite a long time."
He wrapped it with a Democrat bow: "You know who’s doing the opposite? Donald Trump." That's a weird flex with Trump sending in National Guard forces.
