Gutfeld: America’s worst mayor is running again
'The Five' co-hosts discuss rising crime rates under Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as she runs for re-election.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's re-election was ridiculed by critics Thursday as her campaign touted her record on crime and sought the help of student volunteers in exchange for school credit.
Fox News' Greg Gutfeld put Lightfoot on blast, arguing on "The Five" that "she's not fighting for crime; she's fighting for power."
Lightfoot announced she would seek re-election as the Windy City's mayor in June 2022. Crime has spiked roughly 40% since she took office in 2019 and homicides rose to their highest numbers in 25 years in 2021.
Gutfeld said other people's suffering only comes across Lightfoot's radar "when it's a political threat."
"It does show the difference between Democrats and Republicans," he argued. "Republicans tend to confront their problem children, be it [George] Santos or somebody else. The Dems just elect them, you know, to be a historical first."
Lori Lightfoot, mayor of Chicago, speaks during a news conference in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. Lightfoot defended her public safety strategy on Wednesday after city council members, residents and a watchdog group expressed concerns over police department staffing and a lack of budget transparency. Photographer: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He continued arguing Lightfoot is a historical first but not in the way she wants to be remembered.
"She's the first mayor to be under the thumb of cartels. She's the worst mayor in America, the worst mayor Chicago has ever had," Gutfeld said. "She looks like she hasn't slept since 1983. She dresses like she pantsed the Salvation Army bell ringer."
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"Why don't the Democrats call her out on her record? Why don't they say anything? It's because they're cowards, and two, she's protected by her diversity shield. Right?. A black lesbian left-winger." Gutfeld said.
"So they're willing to let the city just be run into the ground. A 40% increase in murder. No White guy could get away with that."
Co-host Geraldo Rivera agreed crime has become the main political issue for mayoral candidates but believes Lightfoot will get re-elected.
"The overwhelmingly black and poor half of the city is where most of the gang violence is happening. Chicago is on track now to have over seven- or had - over 700 murders and led the nation by far in murders last year. So she runs on a very tenuous record," Rivera said.
"The problem from her point of view politically is that now that fear of crime, that absolute terror has people on the north side of town, the more affluent side of town, getting private police forces, security guards. So it's there. The whole tempo of life in the Windy City has been undermined."
Lightfoot recently came under fire after her campaign reportedly sent emails to the Chicago Public Schools system asking teachers to encourage students to volunteer for her campaign in exchange for school credit. The solicitation was rescinded, and Lightfoot said during a Thursday press conference the emails were "clearly a mistake" and placed blame on a staffer.
Rivera said it was a "brilliant" idea but had an "inherent dishonesty" to it.
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"You could paint it as a ‘what a great program.’ ‘Get the kids involved in politics, municipal government and so forth.’ But I think Chicago is in a terrible place," he lamented, "I think that Greg is right. I think she will be re-elected. And I think there's nothing that you can do about it."