
Sen Mike Lee accuses Chicago mayor — who called Trump a 'monster' — of 'bragging about' violating the law
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By Alex Nitzberg
Published May 23, 2025
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called President Donald Trump a "monster," and U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has accused the mayor of "bragging about" violating the law.
Johnson accused the president of "animus towards women, people of color, [and] working people."
"We have always known who he has been," he declared. "This is not a surprise. He's a monster, period. We have the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago, and he is threatened by that."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
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The mayor's fiery comments come in the context of the Justice Department launching a probe into whether Chicago is engaging in race-based discrimination.
"Our investigation is based on information suggesting that you have made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race," a letter signed by Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon declares.
The letter points to comments the mayor made while speaking to Dr. Byron T. Brazier, pastor of the Apostolic Church of God.
During the exchange, Johnson pointed to various roles occupied by Black individuals and said, "when you ask, how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business, having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of Black folks … that's how we ensure long-term sustainable growth …"
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Dhillon's message to the mayor notes that "we have not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation."
"Chicago's mayor is about to find out," Sen. Mike Lee declared in a post on X. "Racial discrimination is illegal."
"There's no such thing as benevolently racist hiring policies," Lee said in another post. "Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is breaking the law And bragging about it Then calling Trump a monster because his administration won't tolerate that," Lee wrote, adding, "He's about to find out."
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The mayor's press office also did not respond to Fox News Digital's comment request by the time of publication. Print Close
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