Attorney General Pam Bondi sparred with Democrats during her congressional hearing on Tuesday, and she did not back down.
Bondi testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the attorney general ripped into Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) over the legality of deploying the National Guard. Durbin challenged Bondi about President Donald Trump’s legal authority to deploy the Texas National Guard to Chicago, the crime-ridden city in the Democratic senator’s jurisdiction.
‘If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.’
Over the weekend, protesters and agitators clashed with law enforcement in Chicago, with some apparently ramming their vehicles into federal cruisers. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem even said that cartels have placed bounties on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Despite this dramatic uptick in violence, Durbin questioned the rationale for deploying additional resources.
Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
“I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump,” Bondi said in response. “And currently, the National Guard are on the way to Chicago.”
“If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will,” Bondi added.
Even without the recent escalation in crime, Chicago has consistently been one of the nation’s most dangerous and crime-ridden cities. In response to the high crime, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas “fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officers.”
“You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it,” Abbott said in a post on X.
RELATED: VIDEO: Federal agents clash with mob of Antifa-fueled, anti-ICE protesters in Portland
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
“Your city has a murder rate five times higher than New York’s,” Bondi told Durbin. “571 homicides last year. If you were serious about protecting your people, you would be asking this administration for help.”
“We’re there to help make America safe and Illinois safe, whether or not you want to,” Bondi added.
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Pam bondi, Senate judiciary committee, Dick durbin, National guard, Donald trump, Chicago, Portland, High crime, Crime crackdown, Senate democrats, Kristi noem, Ice, Ice raids, Dhs, Politics