Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson came under fire from the Richard Nixon FoundationĀ after calling the late president the “root cause” of crime in the Windy City.
In a crime-filled Fourth of July weekend, Chicago saw 19 killed and over 100 injured in shootings that the Democrat mayor reacted to in a press conference.
“What weāve experienced over the weekend is unacceptable and we didnāt get here overnight. And everyone knows that. Letās tell the full story of what happened,” Johnson said during the press conference. “Black death has been unfortunately been accepted in this country for a very long time.”
“We had a chance 60 years ago to get at the root causes. And people mocked President Johnson, and we ended up with Richard Nixon,” the progressive mayor said, referring to the nation’s 37th president who left office in 1974 and died in 1994.
(Video Credit: WGN News)
“I’m going to work hard every day to transform this city. That’s what it takes to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago,” he added. “We are standing here today talking about a violent weekend because of generations of disinvestment and deep disenfranchisement in the exact communities where so much of the violence has taken place.”
Johnson sparked outrage with his comments about the late president, getting a direct rebuke from the Richard Nixon Foundation.
“Mayor Johnsonās reference to President Nixon is gratuitous and the facts are not on his side in his characterization of Richard Nixon and the Nixon administrationās civil rights record,” the organization posted on X in a lengthy thread.
From 1969 to 1972, federal funding for civil rights programs grew from $75 million to more than $600 million, the equivalent of more than $3.4 billion today.
ā Richard Nixon Foundation (@nixonfoundation) July 9, 2024
“Richard Nixon was a champion of civil rights as Vice President and as President,” Jim Byron, president and CEO of the organization, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The record is clear,” he added.Ā “Unfortunately there are many misconceptions about Richard Nixon, but perceptions of years ago are now being reconsidered as we see renewed interest in studying and understanding his life and legacy in full. As of now, our correction of the record is racing toward one million views on X alone.”
“What is happening in Chicago is heartbreaking, and I imagine the people of Chicago want leaders who take responsibility and work together to solve problems rather than try and pass the blame, in this case ridiculously and gratuitously,” Byron continued.
Nixon issued an executive order calling on federal government agencies to apply equal-opportunity policies to every aspect of federal personnel policies and practices.
ā Richard Nixon Foundation (@nixonfoundation) July 9, 2024
The thread on X provided reminders of how Nixon’s administration promoted civil rights by desegregating schools, supporting black-owned businesses, through civil rights funding, and an executive order “calling on federal government agencies to apply equal-opportunity policies to every aspect of federal personnel policies and practices.”
The Foundation’s response on X has garnered over one million views. And Johnson’s initial comments drew plenty of backlash from other voices on X.
Of course Johnson is going to blame Nixon!
ā Calibrat0r (@Calman1225) July 9, 2024
Heāll do anything to deflect from his own leadership failings and victimhood ideology
ā unamas (@unamas4ever) July 9, 2024
Didn’t we have a Black president from Chicago for 8 years since Nixon? Why didn’t he work on those root causes? What? pic.twitter.com/Piwp00O2Pt
ā Milenka~ (@MilenaAmit) July 8, 2024
So now we go back to dead Richard Nixon to blame for the city’s current woes.
Way to take responsibility.
ā DDS (@__DDS___) July 8, 2024
Apparently Chicago’s mayor is not aware that Nixon hasn’t been in office since 1974 and died in 1994.
So, he’s blaming someone who has been dead for 30 years for his own failures.
ā Morgana Le Faye *Patriot *America 1st* (@Keltic_Witch) July 8, 2024
And they call me an Uncle Tom….
Black criminals kill Black people and this guy wants to blame a man who’s been dead for 30 years?!?!
At least have the decency of being a real mayor, and blame your predecessor:)
ā Black Word Bound (@BlackWordBound) July 8, 2024
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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