Trump Continues Chicago Bashing; Check Out His City Swipes Since Taking Office

CHICAGO, IL — For the second day in a row, President Donald Trump invoked Chicago's name while discussing crime in the United States. During a talk Wednesday at the Washington, D.C., winter conference of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, an organization that represents police chiefs and sheriffs from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, he blamed the city's crime and violence problem on undocumented immigrants, according to the White House pool report.

In the first week of his presidency, Trump went after "sanctuary cities," such as Chicago, that have designated themselves as safe zones for undocumented immigrants. He signed an executive order last month that withholds federal grant money "from states and cities that harbor illegal immigrants," according to the White House.

The administration's immediate focus will be on the prosecution and deportation undocumented immigrants who have committed non-immigration law violations. Interestingly, those undocumented immigrants are not protected by the sanctuary city policy of Chicago and other U.S. municipalities.

RELATED: Trump Calls Chicago a War Zone (Again), Cites 'Alternate Facts' About U.S. Murder Rate (Again)

“With all the talk and no action, you have to wonder whether the administration is serious about working with us on solutions, or if they are just using violence in this great city to score political points," said Matt McGrath, a spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, according to DNAinfo.com. "We've been clear, there are ways the federal government can help, and we're happy to partner with the administration whenever they decide to stop talking and start acting."

McGrath's remarks elude to an earlier threat by Trump to "send in the Feds" to handle Chicago's gun violence. While Emanuel, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and other Chicago officials would gladly welcome assistance in the form of federal funding, city leaders rejected the idea of calling in the National Guard. (Johnson and others also were quick to point out that the city already works closely with federal law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, DEA and ATF.)

RELATED: Trump's 'Send in the Feds' Threat: Chicago Officials Would Welcome Help, But Not the National Guard

Trump's comments Wednesday come about 24 hours after the president talked about Chicago's gun violence while making false claims about the U.S. murder rate. During a meeting with U.S. sheriffs Tuesday, he inaccurately stated the rate was the highest it had been in 45 to 47 years, a claim that FBI data unequivocally contradicts.

For those playing "Chicago Smackdown: White House Edition" at home, Trump has made a weekly effort to mention Chicago in the context of it being a U.S. city with an epidemic of shootings and other violent crime that its leaders can't handle. Here's the scorecard so far:

Jan. 20: On Inauguration Day, Chicago is namechecked in a posting on the White House website, titled "Standing Up For Our Law Enforcement Community":

"The Trump Administration is committed to reducing violent crime. In 2015, homicides increased by 17% in America’s fifty largest cities. That’s the largest increase in 25 years. In our nation’s capital, killings have risen by 50 percent. There were thousands of shootings in Chicago last year alone."

Jan. 24: Days later, Trump keeps the momentum going with his tweet that threatens to "send in the Feds" if Chicago officials can't stop the "carnage."

Jan. 25: In the transcript of his televised interview with David Muir of ABC News, Trump compares Chicago to Afghanistan and likens the city to a war zone. "Chicago is worse than some of the people that you report in some of the places that you report about every night … ," he said.

RELATED: Ohio Pastor Tells Trump Chicago Gangs Want to Meet, But That's More Hype Than Hope, Activists Say

Trump also falsely claimed two people were fatally shot during President Barack Obama's farewell speech Jan. 10 in Chicago. Police records, however, indicated that no one was shot and killed in the city for around 24 hours before or after the McCormick Place event, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Jan. 31: Darrell Scott, a Cleveland-area pastor and Trump adviser who was part of his transition team, tells the president during a White House listening session in honor of Black History Month that Chicago gang leaders have reached out to him and would like to sit down with the chief executive to discuss the city's violence. Trump calls it "a great idea."

However, Chicago activists and community organizers, such as Jedidiah Brown, are skeptical about the authenticity and sincerity of the invitation:

Feb. 7: Trump talks about Chicago when citing false information about the U.S. murder rate to a group of sheriffs from across the country.

President Donald Trump (photo via The White House)

Like What You're Reading? Stay Patched In!

• Like our Crime page on Facebook
• Live Traffic and Transit Updates