Trump freestyles on Baghdadi, Chicago, and Jussie Smollett in wild speech at police conference


It didn't take long for President Trump to criticize Chicago during his first ever presidential visit to the city Monday.
Trump, who was speaking at the annual gathering of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, bashed the Midwestern metropolis and the superintendent of its police department, Eddie Johnson. Despite hosting the event, Johnson did not attend Trump's speech because he said he "couldn't stand by while racial insults and hatred are cast from the Oval Office." Trump criticized Johnson for overseeing a city that he says is less safe than Afghanistan and argued that Chicago's police officers are "entitled to a police superintendent who has their backs and knows what he's doing."
Trump wasn't done there, though. He also went after actor Jussie Smollett who claimed he was attacked by Trump supporters in Chicago, comparing his "scam" to the House impeachment inquiry.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But it wasn't all insults — Trump also had some praise for, well, himself. He touted the death of former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed during a U.S. military raid in Syria on Saturday night, as a major accomplishment, which was received positively by the crowd. Trump also hinted that former President Barack Obama should've done more to bring down Baghdadi, while indicating that his own determination to zero in on the terrorist leader played a significant role in his death. Tim O'Donnell
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland