Chicago reacts to Trump winning the presidency
FOX 32 NEWS - For eight years, the City of Chicago has had a direct connection to the White House.
But the election of Donald Trump changes all that.
“Almost four thousand people in Chicago have been killed, we have to bring back law and order,” Trump said back in September.
For Donald Trump, law and order, at least in Chicago, means stop-and-frisk policing. The controversial practice has been criticized for its racial profiling.
Mayor Emanuel says the city will continue to fight crime with community policing, stricter gun laws and mentoring, regardless of what the new President recommends.
“If you look at anything that's worked across the country, both in Chicago and across the country, it encompasses more than just stop-and-frisk,” Emanuel said.
The Mayor's been able to leverage federal dollars for major downtown projects like the Riverwalk. He said he doesn't expect a Trump administration to turn its back on the nation's third largest city.
“I'm not worried about Donald Trump somehow trying to penalize Chicago. I’m going to stand up and speak for Chicago,” Emanuel said.
Several Aldermen agreed, saying that Trump needs a healthy downtown for business reasons.
“Mr. Trump, or the president-elect, has real estate property here, and I don't think, he's a businessman first, I believe. And I don't think he's going to want the value of his property deteriorated, so I'm hopeful that Chicago will not take a hit,” said Alderman Chris Taliaferro.
“I know he says a lot, has said a lot during this campaign, but I think he's a compromiser, and he’s a businessman. And I think if people put forth good ideas and compromises, I think he may be someone we can work with,” said Alderman Walter Burnett.
As to the surprising result of the election, the mayor said, “Everybody got it wrong, but it was right in front of us. Eyes wide shut.”
The mayor said the Trump win shows that a large segment of the population felt neglected and disrespected by political, media and business elites.