Jesse Watters Challenges Ex-Harris Adviser Over Chicago Crime on Fox News
During a live conversation on Fox News, anchor Jesse Watters countered statements made by Mike Nellis, a former Senior Adviser for ex-Vice President Kamala Harris. The exchange, which happened on Tuesday, began when Nellis made assertions regarding the perceived non-necessity of the National Guard in Chicago’s bid to tackle crime.
This debate stemmed from remarks made by ex-President Donald Trump last Friday. In his discussion with news media, Trump revealed that he was mulling over the idea of deploying the National Guard to Chicago, almost a week after a similar decision was made concerning Washington, D.C., on August 11.
The suggestion of National Guard involvement did not sit well with many Democrats. Jesse Watters, during his prime-time show, decided to challenge Nellis on how he anticipated Chicago should respond to this offer of assistance from the previous presidential administration.
In reply, Nellis was categorical, ‘I believe, fundamentally, that Chicago needs to elevate its responses to crime. It’s incumbent on our local leaders as well, to elevate their efforts. Chicago has had three opportunities to elect Donald Trump, and each time, he was defeated by a vast 80% margin. If President Trump wants to invest intensively in tangible issues, he might want to focus on states that lean Republican.’
Democrats in key positions in Chicago, including Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, had also made their feelings known on Monday during a press meet. They informed the president directly of their preference for him to stay out, with Johnson raising what he claimed were declining crime rates.
Details sourced from the Chicago Police Department up to August 16 indicate a reduction in homicide rates by approximately 25% over the last year, in comparison to 2023. The same report showed that in the year through to August 16, homicide incidents numbered at 474, with an average annual homicide rate of 722 between 2021 and 2023.
Nellis held his ground in response to the interview with Watters. ‘I am fully in favor of increasing the police presence on Chicago’s streets. The problem I see lies in Donald Trump’s budget that was passed by the Republicans, where he cut $2 billion from community police funding. This action will, unfortunately, result in fewer patrol officers on our streets.’
Trump’s choice to deploy the National Guard and use Section 40 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act was a response to a series of hostile incidents in Washington, D.C. that got the nation’s attention. Among these were a brutal attack on a former staff member of the Department of Government Efficiency and a deadly shooting incident on June 30, which claimed the life of a Republican intern, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
Despite the negative reactions from Democratic representatives, a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll made public on Monday suggested that over half (54%) of registered voters supported Trump’s policing efforts in the capital, terming them as both ‘justified and necessary.’
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., clarified on Monday that the federal takeover in the U.S. capital had resulted in significant results – 1,007 arrests and the confiscation of 111 illegal firearms.