In a stunning display of accountability that the mainstream media consistently avoids, Chicago reporter William Kelly directly confronted Mayor Brandon Johnson over his city’s catastrophic failures, exposing the bankrupt ideology that prioritizes progressive rhetoric over the safety of citizens. This press conference laid bare the utter incompetence and moral cowardice gripping liberal-run cities, while highlighting the desperate need for the law-and-order leadership embodied by President Donald Trump.
Kelly began by channeling the outrage of countless Chicagoans, stating to the Mayor, “hundreds of thousands of people have reached out to me expressing outrage at your cold, heartless response to Bethany McGee’s, the vicious attack on her, calling it an ‘isolated incident.’” He meticulously connected the dots between Johnson’s soft-on-crime philosophy and the horrific result, noting, “When a young woman is set on fire on Chicago’s public transportation, that, coupled with your statement that it’s a sickness to incarcerate people, violent repeat offenders who, in your own words, ‘look like you,’ people find that absolutely outrageous.” This line of questioning exposed the core contradiction of the modern left: a perverse sympathy for violent predators that utterly abandons their victims, particularly those in the very communities they claim to champion.
When Johnson attempted to deflect with vague platitudes about “tragedy” and “system breakdown,” Kelly forcefully interjected with the damning fact: “Seventy plus arrests.” This single detail underscores the systemic failure of revolving-door justice, a policy choice made by leaders like Johnson who view the criminal justice system as inherently racist rather than a tool to protect the innocent. As Kelly pivoted to the city’s economic collapse, highlighting that “Business leaders have reached out to me. They say that they don’t trust you, they don’t trust your budget,” he illustrated how the culture of lawlessness directly fuels financial ruin, driving away the very enterprises that sustain a city.
Mayor Johnson’s response was not one of substance, but of petulant evasion. He insulted the reporter, claiming, “Your question is like a bag of coleslaw. This is like raisins in coleslaw and a bunch of stuff,” and when pressed further, descended into personal attacks, stating, “I’m having a tough time trusting and believing you. You don’t talk to that many people. There’s just no way.” This is the classic tactic of a failing leader: when confronted with the devastating results of his own policies, he attacks the messenger and attempts to discredit the question.
Ultimately, having no factual or moral defense, Mayor Johnson played the only card left in the liberal deck, baselessly accusing Kelly of racism, saying, “I’m not going to entertain…because the whole premise of everything that you bring up is not only disgusting and racist. Really? It’s just no fact to it.” This was a transparent attempt to shut down legitimate inquiry, a move cheered on by a sympathetic national media that consistently provides cover for Democrat officials while savaging any who hold them to account. Kelly’s final retort cut to the heart of the matter: “But the fact of the matter is simply this, that the fact that you think that a Christmas market across the street from City Hall is more a threat to public safety than violent black teenagers running down State Street shooting people at a Christmas tree lighting shows your priorities.”
I'M BACK!
Wild Raw Video From Today’s Presser – The tension spiked the moment I questioned Mayor Johnson about the attack on Bethany McGee — the young woman who was set on fire on Chicago public transit.
I told the Mayor that Chicagoans were outraged after he described the… https://t.co/myAmn5mpHT pic.twitter.com/ZNGrKXnAR0
— Reporter William J. Kelly #thatreporter (@Williamjkelly) December 2, 2025
This explosive exchange is a microcosm of the national crisis that President Donald Trump has long identified and pledged to solve. While Democrat mayors like Brandon Johnson preside over urban decay, blaming systemic forces and accusing critics of bigotry, President Trump offers a clear alternative: unwavering support for police, strict prosecution of violent offenders, and policies that put the safety and prosperity of law-abiding citizens first. The chaos in Chicago is not an accident; it is the direct outcome of the ideology that labels law enforcement the enemy and incarceration a sickness. President Trump’s promise to restore order through strength and to empower cities to reclaim their streets stands as the only viable solution to the anarchy that reporters like William Kelly bravely document, and that the liberal media largely ignores.