Lori Lightfoot’s failure to secure re-election spurred “Outnumbered” panelists to examine her record as mayor of Chicago, but the fiercest criticism came after Lightfoot blamed race and gender for her Tuesday night loss.
“Outnumbered” co-host Emily Compagno reminded the panel that Lightfoot said “yes” when asked if her race and gender were the reason she was removed from office.
When pressed on whether she believed she was treated unfairly during the campaign process, she reportedly responded, “I’m a Black woman in America. Of course.”
“I am a Black woman,” Lightfoot told the New Yorker over the weekend. “Let’s not forget: certain folks, frankly, don’t support us in leadership roles.”
Compagno called Lightfoot out for her comments and questioned why race wasn’t more of a priority while she was serving as mayor.
“This is someone who, if she cared so much about race and gender, would have turned a wider eye to crime given that the majority of the victims there of crime in her city were young African-American men,” Compagno said Wednesday.
Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, left, and her spouse Amy Eshleman wave to supporters during Women for Lori Rally in Chicago, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
“She’s an utter failure,” Compagno said.
Lightfoot landed in third place after facing eight challengers. Chicago Public Schools CEO and city budget director Paul Vallas and Cook County Board of Commissioners member Brandon Johnson are now headed to a runoff on April 4.
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, left, and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, right, will go head to head in a runoff election for Chicago mayor on April 4. (Kamil Krzaczynski, Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu Agency)
FOX Business host Kennedy argued the residents of Chicago actually wanted to see Lightfoot succeed and make the city safer. Kennedy then said Lightfoot’s inability to get crime under control was ultimately the reason she lost.
“From safety follows economic prosperity. Those two things are married. The perception that you can live and shop and thrive in a city depends on how people feel, and she was not able to deliver that one thing,” Kennedy explained.
“The things that mattered, she completely ignored. And this is how she paid: with her political life.”
Brian Kilmeade, co-host of “Fox & Friends,” called Lightfoot a “political animal” who failed to bring unity. He noted that Lightfoot rejected former President Trump’s offer to send in the National Guard to combat crime.
“Instead of teaming up, she divided. She rejected,” he said.
Compagno expressed optimism ahead of the runoff, despite both candidates being Democrats, as leading candidate Paul Vallas was endorsed by the police union.
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“I feel like there’s one hurdle down, which is that, yes, [Lightfoot]’s been removed. Thank goodness common sense has prevailed,” Compagno said. “Sure, there’s no Republicans, but hopefully at least the police union-endorsed candidate is the one that prevails because the lives of Chicagoans depend on it.”
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.