Gianno Caldwell on Chicago violence: We don't want another press conference, we want solutions
Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell says Democrats' lack of solutions have been extremely problematic.
Democratic leaders in the city of Chicago need to recognize that they've failed their constituents and call on President Trump and the National Guard for help because Chicagoans "are not waiting any longer," Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell said Wednesday.
In an interview on "Fox & Friends" with host Steve Doocy, Caldwell recalled how his brother lost his best friend three years ago in a drive-by shooting.
"Three Memorial Day weekends ago, my younger brother was in a car with two of his friends when two men walked up and shot the car 25 times...Thankfully, he lived. But, his best friend died in his arms. And, since then I have been talking about the Chicago violence," he explained.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks as Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson announces his retirement after more than three years leading the department in Chicago. (AP/File)
Caldwell told Doocy that the crime wave is systemic and "the real pandemic in Chicago."
"If you just look at what happened this weekend, 12 of the almost 80 people shot this weekend were under the age of 18. If you look at the week before, where you had a 1-year-old shot, a 10-year-old shot, and a 17-year-old shot… If you look at the weekend before that, a 3-year-old and [14-year-old] shot," he pointed out. "The governor of Georgia had one child shot and they are talking about bringing in the National Guard."
"Meanwhile, the leadership in Chicago, in the state of Illinois, won't even mention the National Guard," he noted.
According to Caldwell, it's time for Democratic leaders who have "failed" their people to accept the president's help and allow the federal government to support Chicago.
"It's life or death," he said.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, the Chicago Police Department reported 87 people shot and 17 killed from July 2 to July 5.
Doocy pointed out that presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has remained silent on the issue this week.
"And, that was because Rahm Emanuel, their friend, was in charge of the city of Chicago. So, of course, they don't want to criticize their fellow Democrat," Caldwell said.
"The Democrats have completely shown where they're coming from," he said. "The mayor of Chicago says, ‘I don't want to accept Trump's help.’ She is waiting for the next Democrat to come in — the next Democrat, like Joe Biden, to do nothing again."
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"We can no longer wait," Caldwell said. "People are frustrated and they are pissed the hell off. They don't know if their next breath may be taken in the next moment. They don't know if their grandchildren are going to come back home. They have no clue. And the leaders seemingly don't care."
"We don't want another press conference. We want solutions," he concluded. "We need them now. We are not waiting any longer."
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