White House Press Secretary Blasts Pritzker Over Chicago Crime, Police Shortage

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt used Thursday’s daily briefing to accuse Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker of undermining law-enforcement morale and worsening Chicago’s crime problem. “Maybe Governor Pritzker should spend less time demonizing the police and more time trying to recruit more police, and call the President of the United States to get crime in his city under control,” she said, responding to a question about urban violence. Leavitt argued that the United States is short about 30,000 police officers nationwide, echoing remarks by conservative commentator Steve Gruber that Chicago has led the nation in murders for 13 consecutive years and has logged roughly 600 homicides so far in 2025. She said President Donald Trump supports policies that would ‘allow law enforcement to do their jobs’ and encouraged local leaders to bolster recruitment efforts. Governor Pritzker’s office did not immediately respond to the criticism. Chicago officials have previously pointed to gun-control measures and community-violence programs as priorities, while policing advocates say staffing shortages hinder crime-reduction efforts. The exchange highlights continuing tensions between the White House and Democratic-led cities over how to tackle violent crime.