Donald Trump has expressed admiration for “beautiful black women” sporting MAGA hats in Chicago as he intensifies efforts to address crime in the city, led by Democrats.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, the former president remarked, “In Chicago, you see people wearing MAGA hats, including beautiful black women.”

Although Trump did not provide specific examples, black women donning MAGA hats have recently been vocal at town hall meetings, criticizing Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson.

His comments came as he highlighted the support for deploying National Guard troops in crime-stricken Democratic cities like Chicago, Washington D.C., Memphis, and Portland.

Trump asserted that residents of Chicago are pleading, “Please let the president intervene; they don’t care about which branch of the military—Army, Navy, Marines—they simply want crime to end.”

The commander-in-chief said that the success of the deployment of troops in DC in August had made the idea appealing to residents in other cities.

Crime plunged by 18 percent in the first month of the deployment in the nation’s capital, with violent offenses down nearly half.

Trump was holding a press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi to describe his administration’s national war on crime.

President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi listen as FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Wednesday

Chicago residents wearing MAGA hats. Republican support has increased in recent years amid the failed tenure of Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson

The administration says it has made 8,700 arrests for violent crimes, seized 2,200 firearms, 421 kilos of fentanyl, 45,000 kilos of cocaine and secured 2,100 indictments.

‘I hope the media takes a look at everyone of these charts because these are the best numbers for fighting crime in US history and it’s only 7 months in,’ Patel said.  

The FBI director said from June to September the administration launched ‘Operation Summer Heat’ to smash drugs gangs.

Trump said: ‘Just as we’re forging peace and stability abroad, we’re also restoring peace and safety and stability at home.’ 

The president also teased a return of federal service members to California to tackle crime and homelessness in the city of San Francisco.

‘I will be strongly recommending at the request of government officials, which is always nice, that you start looking at San Francisco,’ Trump said.

The city of San Francisco has suffered from a plague of homelessness, drug use, and increased crime in recent years, despite California spending billions of dollars to try and address the problem.

‘I think we can make San Francisco, one of our great cities ten years ago, 15 years ago and now it’s a mess,’ he said. ‘We have great support in San Francisco so I would like to recommend that for inclusion may be in your next group.’

A woman in a MAGA hat blasts Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson during a meeting about taxpayer money going to migrants in April 2024 

A Chicago resident is seen wearing a Make Chicago Great Again hat at a town meeting last year

Any attempt to send federal forces back into California would set up another clash with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has repeatedly protested the president’s law enforcement efforts in cities within his state.

The event put a spotlight on federal troops and FBI agents who may not get paid as a result of the ongoing government shutdown.

Newsom posted video of Trump’s remarks, taking credit for Trump’s assertion that it used to be a great city.

‘Thank you!’ Newsom wrote on social media as he was once the mayor of San Francisco from 2004-2011.

Trump blamed Senate Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, now in it’s 15th day.

‘As far as the shutdown is concerned, this is a Democratic Schumer shut down,’ Trump said. ‘He has tried to do it to get relevance back in to the party because he is a loser. I’ve known him all his life he has always been sort of a loser but an intelligent one.’

The president said he would continue to explore ways to make sure members of the military and federal law officials get paid. 

‘We want the FBI paid, we want the military paid,’ he said.