Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has come under fire from the Richard Nixon Foundation after calling the late president the “root cause” of crime in the Windy City.
In a crime-ridden Fourth of July weekend, Chicago saw 19 people killed and more than 100 injured in shootings that the Democratic mayor responded to in a news conference.
“What we experienced over the weekend is unacceptable and we didn't get here overnight. And everyone knows that. Let's tell the full story of what happened,” Johnson said during the news conference. “Unfortunately, the Black Death has been accepted in this country for a long time.”
“60 years ago we had a chance to get to the root causes. And people made fun of President Johnson, and we ended up with Richard Nixon,” the progressive mayor said, referring to the nation's 37th president who left office in 1974 and died in 1994.
(Video credit: WGN News)
“I'm going to work hard every day to transform this city. This is what it takes to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago,” he added. “We're here today talking about a violent weekend because of generations of disinvestment and deep disenfranchisement in the very communities where 'has produced much of the violence”.
Johnson sparked outrage with his comments about the late president, drawing a direct rebuke from the Richard Nixon Foundation.
“Mayor Johnson's reference to President Nixon is gratuitous and the facts are not on his side in his characterization of Richard Nixon and the civil rights record of the Nixon administration,” the organization. published to X in a long string.
From 1969 to 1972, federal funding for civil rights programs increased from $75 million to more than $600 million, the equivalent of more than $3.4 billion today.
— Richard Nixon Foundation (@nixonfoundation) July 9, 2024
“Richard Nixon was a champion of civil rights as vice president and as president,” Jim Byron, the organization's president and CEO, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The record is clear,” he added. “Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about Richard Nixon, but perceptions from years ago are now being reconsidered as we see a renewed interest in studying and understanding his life and legacy in its entirety. From 'now, our registry fix is moving towards the million views on X alone'.
“What's happening in Chicago is heartbreaking, and I imagine the people of Chicago want leaders who will take responsibility and work together to solve problems instead of trying to place blame, in this case ridiculously and gratuitously,” Byron continued.
Nixon issued an executive order requiring federal government agencies to apply equal opportunity policies to all aspects of federal personnel policies and practices.
— Richard Nixon Foundation (@nixonfoundation) July 9, 2024
The thread on X provided reminders of how the Nixon administration promoted civil rights by eliminating schools, supporting black-owned businesses, through civil rights funding, and an executive order “requiring federal government agencies that apply equal opportunity policies to all aspects of the federal workforce.” policies and practices”.
The Foundation's response to X has garnered over a million views. And Johnson's initial comments prompted plenty of reaction from other voices on X.
Of course Johnson will blame Nixon!
— Calibrator (@Calman1225) July 9, 2024
He will do anything to deviate from his own leadership mistakes and ideology of victimhood
— unamas (@unamas4ever) July 9, 2024
Didn't we have a black Chicago president for 8 years since Nixon? Why didn't he work on these root causes? What? pic.twitter.com/Piwp00O2Pt
— Milena~ (@MilenaAmit) July 8, 2024
So now we go back to the dead Richard Nixon to blame for the city's current problems.
Way to take responsibility.
— DDS (@__DDS___) July 8, 2024
Apparently the mayor of Chicago doesn't know that Nixon hasn't been in office since 1974 and that he died in 1994.
So he blames someone who has been dead for 30 years for his own failures.
— Morgana Le Faye *Patriot *America 1st* (@Keltic_Witch) July 8, 2024
And they call me Uncle Tom…
Black criminals kill black people and this guy wants to blame it on a man who has been dead for 30 years?!?!
At least have the decency to be a real mayor and blame your predecessor 🙂
— Black Word Bound (@BlackWordBound) July 8, 2024
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