(NewsNation) — Not everyone in Chicago is against President Donald Trump possibly sending National Guard troops and additional federal resources to the Windy City.
Chicago resident and businessman Daniel Siegel, who has properties in some of the city’s toughest neighborhoods, dismissed efforts by Democratic leaders to discourage the Trump administration from taking action.
Republican Trump has threatened to federalize National Guard members for service in Chicago, which proponents say would free up police to focus on serious crimes. The Trump administration, meanwhile, is expected to step up immigration enforcement in Chicago, a sanctuary city, within days.
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“Obviously, they don’t like Donald Trump,” Siegel said of Illinois Democrats. “But my dad had an old phrase that he always used to say to me … ‘A broken clock is right twice a day.’ And even though you might not like Donald Trump, sometimes he’s right about certain issues.”
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Siegel provided surveillance video to NewsNation that he says shows a suspect armed with an AK-47 pursuing one of his company’s employees. He said two suspects robbed a maintenance man of about $200.
“This is life in these areas. You have to be very careful, and it does affect our tenants, as well. They’ve been stuck up by these same individuals. Luckily, the police did get them out of the neighborhood, but this was an ongoing occurrence for weeks,” he said.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said his administration won’t work with federal immigration authorities and does not need the National Guard because crime is down. The latter assessment doesn’t pass muster with Danielle Carter Walters, vice president of Chicago Flips Red, who says residents within violence-plagued communities face a different reality from politicians, including Gov. JB Pritzker.
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“Drastic times calls for drastic measures,” she said.
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Ald. Ray Lopez, a Democrat who has been vocal about crime in his 15th Ward, said Chicago should put politics aside and admit it needs help.
“For me, this is not a rhetorical question, this is not a political game of chicken that I get to play with Donald Trump,” he said. “We need every tool in the toolbox, even if it comes from a Republican president.”
