Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson harshly criticized President Trump and his administration on Wednesday, following the announcement of a federal investigation into the city’s employment practices. The Department of Justice had recently reached out to Johnson with concerns regarding possible racial discrimination in hiring, prompting a fierce response from the mayor.
The Justice Department’s inquiry came in the wake of remarks Johnson made at a church in the Woodlawn neighborhood, where he had spoken about efforts to prioritize Black hires in his administration. During a press conference later in the week, Johnson lashed out at the president.
“As far as, you know, the president’s animus towards women, people of color, working people, we have always known who he has been,” Johnson said during a Wednesday press conference. “This is not a surprise. He’s a monster.”
“We have the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago, and he is threatened by that,” he added.
Earlier, while addressing congregants at the Apostolic Church of God, Johnson, who is Black, defended his approach to staffing by saying he intentionally hired more Black employees because they are “the most generous people on Earth.”
In response, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon issued a letter to the mayor on Monday questioning whether race-based criteria were influencing hiring across all levels of city government.
“If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions,” Dhillon wrote.
This inquiry aligns with the broader campaign by President Trump to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion policies nationwide, putting such efforts under increasing scrutiny.
Mayor Johnson pushed back, characterizing the federal action as politically motivated and rooted in insecurity.
“You can tell when someone is fearful is because they act out,” Johnson said Wednesday. “We have a president that is screaming and having tantrums right now because we have an administration that reflects the city of Chicago, but he would much rather have administrations that reflect the country club. Period.”
“He is most comfortable around people who think and look like him,” the mayor added.
In light of the DOJ’s investigation, Johnson’s office released data highlighting the racial composition of his administration. According to figures shared by ABC7, 34.3 percent of staff members are Black, 30.5 percent are white, 23.8 percent are Hispanic, and 6.7 percent are Asian.

{Matzav.com}