Chicago violence takes center stage in Trump campaign
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Amid new efforts by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to reduce gun violence in the state through a law that increases penalties for illegally bringing weapons into Illinois, Chicago's murder rate has taken center stage in Donald Trump's campaign.
Chicago's murder numbers are up 49 percent over 2015.
"Look at what's going on in Chicago, it's horrible," Trump said on The O'Reilly Factor.
In that same appearance Trump also told Fox News when he was in Chicago he met with an unnamed top cop with a plan.
Trump: He said, "I could stop it in one week," and I believed him 100 percent.
O'Reilly: How? Did he tell you how?
Trump: No. He wants to use tough police tactics.
"I'm sure he's got a strategy. I didn't ask him," Trump told O'Reilly.
The television host pressed Trump repeatedly, asking him how this would be accomplished.
"How?" Trump said. "By being very much tougher than they are right now. They're right now not tough."
Chicago police released a statement Tuesday night saying, "We've discredited this claim months ago. No one in the senior command structure at CPD has ever met with Donald Trump or a member of his campaign. With respect to violence, the best way to address crime is through a commitment to community policing and a commitment to stronger laws to keep illegal guns and repeat violent offenders off the street."
The Republican nominee repeatedly holds Chicago up as an example of a little law and disorder, knocking Democrats like Rahm Emanuel who have been unable to curb crime.
Tuesday, even former mayor Richard M. Daley, who was on office when murders spiked even higher in the 1990s, seemed to take a shot at his successor.
"You have to do something about it. You can't just say 'I don't like it' or 'I feel sorry for the children.' What do you do about it?" Daley said.
Trump's spokesperson did not respond to questions about who in the Chicago Police Department her boss met with, or whether it was a quick encounter or a longer policy discussion.
