Johnson calls Trump 'a monster' while defending diverse hiring amid DOJ probe

Johnson calls Trump ‘a monster’ while defending diverse hiring amid DOJ probe

Mayor Johnson defends Chicago's diverse leadership as DOJ opens hiring probe — and he’s not mincing words about President Trump.

CHICAGO - The federal government is investigating Chicago’s hiring practices, and Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t holding back in his response — taking aim at President Donald Trump while defending his administration’s diversity efforts.

What we know:

The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division notified the city this week that it is investigating whether Chicago violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which bars employment discrimination based on race.

The probe follows remarks Johnson made during a Sunday appearance at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, where he emphasized the number of Black leaders he has appointed to senior roles in his administration.

In his comments, the mayor listed key officials, pointing out their race and titles, including deputy mayors, the budget director, and the city’s chief operations officer. He said he was "laying out" these positions to "ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business," according to the DOJ.

Mayor Johnson reacts to DOJ investigation into Chicagos hiring practices

Is Chicago breaking civil rights law? The DOJ wants answers after comments made Sunday by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

The Justice Department said it has "reasonable cause" to believe a pattern of race-based hiring may be occurring. The investigation will focus on whether similar decisions are being made across city departments.

What they're saying:

On Tuesday, Johnson dismissed the probe as a "divisive tactic" and continued his pushback on Wednesday, describing Trump as "a monster" and accusing his administration of being threatened by diversity.

"As far as, you know, the president's animus towards women, people of color, working people, we have always known who he has been. This is not a surprise. He's a monster," Johnson said.

"We have the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago, and he is threatened by that. You can tell when someone is fearful is because they act out. We have a president that is screaming and having tantrums right now because we have an administration that reflects the city of Chicago, but he would much rather have administrations that reflect the country club. Period. He is most comfortable around people who think and look like him."

The mayor highlighted racial and gender diversity across his leadership team, saying 64% of his administration are women, 34% are Black, 30% white, 25% Latin American, and about 7% Asian.

"The people of this city elected me to respond to decades-old systems of failure. And I made a commitment to bring everybody together to do just that. So that's why we're investing in our public education system. That impacts all of us. That's why I'm investing in the critical services like mental and (behavioral) health support, where our CARE program is now citywide. That impacts all of us," Johnson said. "When crime goes down in the city, when Austin is safer, Streeterville is safer. That's the approach that we're taking. So in terms of being surprised by the ugliness of this (Trump) administration, we're not surprised."

Johnson defended his team and argued the city’s diversity reflects the "American story."

"We're gonna show up for working people in this city because that's what I was elected to do. Black, brown, white, Asian. We’re talking about years of immigrants coming to this city to find refuge. Descendants of slaves coming to the city to find refuge. That's really the American story. And so it's unfortunate that this administration is rejecting and showing so much disdain towards the American story. The dream that has brought all of us to this state right now," he said.

Meanwhile, Chicago’s Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry said Wednesday the city has not yet received an official notice of investigation from the DOJ. City leaders first saw the letter when it was posted on social media, she said.

What's next:

The DOJ says they've requested a meeting with the mayor’s office to begin its review. City officials say they will formally respond once they receive official notice and review the request.

Having trouble reading the DOJ's letter? Click HERE.