SESSIONS: TRUMP & CO. ‘WILL NOT LET THE BLOOD SHED GO ON’ IN CHICAGO
Administration says city violence more about ‘ morality’ than guns as Sessions, Trump tout move to send in 20 ATF agents
WASHINGTON — Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday crime in Chicago was “driven more by morality” than access to guns, commenting after the Trump administration sent 20 more U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents to the city to combat gun violence.
The extra agents were heralded by President Donald Trump in a Friday Twitter post.
“Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year!”
According to the Sun- Times’ count, even more people, 1,737, have been shot this year, 306 of them killed. This comes as Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been asking Trump to send in more federal help for six months.
Gun trafficking is a leading contributing factor in Chicago shootings. The Trump Justice Department created the Chicago Crime Gun Strike Force to hunt down and prosecute firearms traffickers.
Sanders at the White House briefing deflected a question about the link between guns and crime in Chicago even as more ATF agents were assigned to Chicago.
Asked if Chicago’s problems were due in part to access to firearms Sanders replied, “I think that the problem there is pretty clear that it’s a crime problem. I think that crime is probably drivenmore by morality than anything else.”
Trump highlighted Chicago’s problems with shootings during his presidential campaign, transition and has continued to do so since he took office on Jan. 20, saying in Twitter posts and speeches he will “send in the feds” to help stop the “carnage” in Chicago.
Emanuel discussed federal assistance with Trump when the mayor met with him at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Dec. 7. Emanuel has made several White House visits since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
Help finally came in June, some six months after Trump said he would “send in the feds.” Chicago Sun- Times crime reporter Frank Main broke the news on Thursday that ATF agents are working with counterparts from the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police to solve shootings and hunt down gun traffickers.
Emanuel spokesman Adam Collins said Friday morning, “Six months ago, we made it clear that we would welcome additional federal support, and six months later we appreciate the 20 new ATF agents that are now arriving.
“But the progress CPD has made this year has happened without any of the new resources from the federal government we requested.”
Hours after Trump’s Twitter post on sending help to reduce crime in Chicago, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement:
“The Trump Administration will not let the bloodshed go on; we cannot accept these levels of violence.
“That’s why, under President Trump’s strong leadership, we have created the Chicago Gun Strike Force and are sending 20 more permanent ATF agents to Chicago, reallocating federal prosecutors and prioritizing prosecutions to reduce gun violence, and working with our law enforcement partners to stop the lawlessness.”
Meanwhile, at Chicago Police HQ:
In Chicago, the 20 additional ATF agents and the rest of the strike force were officially unveiled at a press conference at the Chicago Police Department headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan.
The strike force became “operational” June 1 and consists of: 20 additional permanent ATF special agents; six intelligence research specialists; 12 task force officers from CPD; two officers from the Illinois State Police: and four specialists from the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network.
“THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL NOT LET THE BLOODSHED GO ON; WE CANNOT ACCEPT THESE LEVELS OF VIOLENCE.” ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS