Mayor calls Trump a ‘monster'
Good Thursday morning, Illinois. The 'big, beautiful bill' narrowly passed the House early this morning in Washington.
TOP TALKER
WORD WAR: Mayor Brandon Johnson lashed out at President Donald Trump on Wednesday, calling him 'a monster' who is 'threatened' by the diverse administration in Chicago's City Hall.
'You can tell when someone is fearful, 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,' Johnson told reporters during a post City Council meeting gaggle. 'He [Trump] would much rather have administrations that reflect the country club, period. He is most comfortable around people who think and look like him.'
Hiring probe: Johnson was referring to the Trump administration launching a civil rights investigation to examine whether Chicago's City Hall had engaged in a pattern of discrimination by hiring Black people to top positions.
Mary Richardson-Lowry, the city's corporation counsel, told reporters the mayor's office still has not received an official letter about the investigation. The mayor's office saw the Justice Department post it on social media.
This isn't the first time Trump has attacked the Democratic bastion of Chicago for one thing or another. During the campaign, a poke at Chicago rallied his base.
Johnson and fellow Democrats tried to be tempered in response. Now, they may view Trump's attacks as an opportunity to energize their own ranks.
Across the country, Democrats are eager for leaders who will push back against Trump and his increasingly authoritarian behavior — just on Wednesday, he berated a reporter who asked a question he didn't like.
For Democratic candidates, confronting Trump sends a message to voters ahead of 2026 that they're not afraid to stand up to the president. For Johnson, it's a chance to galvanize Chicagoans as he inches toward February 2027, when he's up for reelection.
SIDENOTE: Johnson also attacked Trump on how funding cuts are affecting 'everyday Chicagoans.' The mayor said it's costing residents 'an average of about $4,000.'
TONIGHT AT THE HIDEOUT: Your Playbook host is interviewing the mayor. Get there early if you want a seat, otherwise it could be standing-room only.
If you are Donald Trump, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@politico.com
WHERE'S JB
No official public events
WHERE's BRANDON
At Ellis Park at 11 a.m. for the Summer Safety press conference
Where's Toni
At Loyola University Schreiber Center at 9 a.m. to deliver opening remarks at the 2025 Capacity Building for Capacity Builders conference
Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a complaint? Email skapos@politico.com
BUSINESS OF POLITICS
— SENATE: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has formed the 'Mayors for Raja' coalition of current and former Illinois mayors who are supporting his bid for the U.S. Senate. The list includes 20 city leaders from across the state, including Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly, West Peoria Mayor Jimmy Dillon and Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain. The full list is here.
— IL-02: Yumeka Brown, a commissioner with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and the Matteson village clerk, has announced she's running for the 2nd Congressional District seat now held by Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who's running for Senate. Brown is also president of the Rich Township Democrats.
'This district deserves someone who won't just talk about change, but who will fight for it every single day. I'm ready to take that fight to Washington,' she said in a statement, noting she announced after an 'extensive listening tour' across the district.
— IL-07: State Rep. La Shawn Ford has filed his statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission for the 7th Congressional District.
— IL-08: Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison has announced that his campaign for the 8th District congressional seat has raised more than $100,000 since launching last week.
— OUT THIS MORNING: IL-09: Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss is out with endorsements in his bid for the 9th Congressional District seat now held by retiring Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Among the endorsers: State Rep. Kelly Cassidy. Here's the full list.
— IL-13: Dylan Blaha is a Democrat challenging Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski in the 2026 primary. Blaha is a 12-year veteran in the Illinois Army National Guard who served more than five years on active duty, including in Afghanistan, via the Access Newswire.
ILLINOIS' POPE
— Pope Leo XIV calls for humanitarian aid in war-torn Gaza in first general audience, by the Tribune's Angie Leventis Lourgos
THE STATEWIDES
— GOOD REPORT: It's been 5 years since the murder of George Floyd: 'What's changed and what hasn't in Illinois,' by WTTW's Brandis Friedman.
— Homeowners pay price for insurance industry's reluctance to address climate change, consumer groups say: 'Illinois saw the second-highest jump in home insurance premiums in the nation, partly fueled by claims after extreme weather events,' by the Sun-Times' Stephanie Zimmermann.
— Lawmakers pass bills on AI community college instruction, food handling, school bus seat belts: 'Measures among dozens to advance as legislative session enters final stretch,' by Capitol News' Peter Hancock and Jade Aubrey.
— General Assembly passes bill to mandate anti-bias training for obstetric care providers: 'Advocates call bill a 'first step' to address racial disparities impacting marginalized women,' by Capitol News' Maggie Dougherty.
— Responding to Crosetti Brand case, lawmakers pass bill emphasizing domestic violence training for Prisoner Review Board, by the Tribune's Jeremy Gorner
— Rare Abraham Lincoln artifacts sell for nearly $8M at Chicago auction: 'The anonymous 'Paddle 1231' won most of the priciest artifacts, including a lock of Lincoln's hair and a pair of blood-stained gloves,' by WBEZ's Dave McKinney.
— State Sen. Michael Hastings and the Cook County Sheriff's Office are advocating for Senate Bill 24, which would eliminate law enforcement policies requiring a waiting period before accepting a missing persons report.
SPOTLIGHT
— INVESTIGATION: Failure to seriously investigate allegations of sexual misconduct has allowed troubled officers to stay on the job: It occurred 'whether those complaints were lodged by fellow cops or by members of the public. The claims were often downplayed or ignored, sometimes allowing officers to abuse again and again,' by Invisible Institute's María Inés Zamudio and Dana Brozost-Kelleher, via ProPublica.
CHICAGO
— Teen 'snap curfew' ordinance stalls in City Council; Mayor Brandon Johnson's position unclear, by the Tribune's Jake Sheridan
— Ald. Silverstein calls for investigative hearing on Uber overcharges, by the Sun-Times' David Struett
— Cuts to AmeriCorps leave Chicago programs serving kids facing diminished summer, by the Tribune's Olivia Olander
— As Chicago's domestic violence crisis deepens, victims suffer in silence, by the Block Club's Mina Bloom
COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS
— Naperville police chief says the city will have 'zero tolerance' to unlawful conduct at teen gatherings, by the Daily Herald's Alicia Fabbre
— West Chicago mayor and City Council continue feud over staffing authority, by the Daily Herald's Dave Oberhelman
— DuPage County Board member Sheila Rutledge to step down in August, by the Naperville Sun's Tess Kenny
— These Chicago suburbs were ranked among the best places to live in the US, via Time Out's Laura Ratliff
DAY IN COURT
— Homer Glen man charged with threatening Republican state Rep. Nicole La Ha, by Shaw Local's Felix Sarver
TAKING NAMES
— Dion Dawson, whose Dion's Chicago Dream nonprofit addresses food insecurity, has been named a Big Bets Fellow with the Rockefeller Foundation for a program looking at 'scalable solutions for economic opportunity, food resilience and workforce development' around the country.
— Recipients have been named for the 2025 Paul Simon Democracy Prize awarded by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. They are Tatiana Castillo from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Winter Hurst-Leadicker from Western Illinois University, Ben Munch from Illinois State University and Raluca Pavel from Loyola University.
Reader Digest
We asked about politicians you admire, even if you don't agree with everything they stand for
Kristopher Anderson: 'LBJ. He was not a perfect man, but he was a perfect politician. I hate to think where Black America would be today without him.'
Denise Barreto: 'Colin Powell, who was chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.'
Mike Gascoigne: 'Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. I definitely do not agree with everything she believes. But it took guts to stand against her party and openly campaign for Kamala Harris.'
David Kohn: 'Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger refused Donald Trump's request to 'find 11,780 votes' to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election results.'
Jim Lyons: 'John McCain. Between being in a POW jail or his time in the Senate, a man who loved his country.'
Dan Mattoon: 'Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. I disagree with his view that the burning or desecrating the U.S. flag is constitutional because of freedom of speech. But I admire his leadership skills. The country otherwise would not have a 6-3 conservative U.S. Supreme Court.'
Ed Mazur: 'Chicago Ald. Brian Hopkins is thoughtful, not quick to rush to judgment and seeks input from his diverse constituency. When he disagrees with me, he is very polite and makes me feel somewhat 'good.''
Marilynn Miller: 'Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski. She dared to oppose some of Trump's ways.'
Brent Pruim: 'Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger has very admirable qualities.'
Dennis Rendleman: 'John McCain, Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney. They are what Republicans used to be before.'
Mark Rosenberg: 'The late John McCain who was a war hero and as a senator reached across the aisle on bipartisan issues.'
NEXT QUESTION: Do you have a favorite line from Norm of 'Cheers'?
FROM THE DELEGATION
— Sen. Dick Durbin, the U.S. Senate Democratic whip, criticized Republicans for voting to overrule a decision by the Senate parliamentarian and the Government Accountability Office, which had ruled that Senate Republicans can't use the Congressional Review Act to overturn a waiver granted to California by the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate its own vehicle emissions. It sets 'a new precedent ... eliminating longstanding guardrails and paving the way for a future Senate majority to overrule the Parliamentarian to achieve its partisan goals,' he said.
— Congresswoman Lauren Underwood criticized efforts to restrict abortion access, including the 'review' of mifepristone by the Food and Drug Administration. She said the action was based on 'junk science' released by a Republican think tank, Watch the video here.
— Congresswoman Mary Miller wrote to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, claiming a Title IX rule was broken when a Naperville school allowed a trans student to compete in a track meet. Miller's letter is here.
THE NATIONAL TAKE
— Two Israeli Embassy staffers shot dead outside D.C.'s Capital Jewish Museum — and the suspect is from Chicago, via NBC News
— Wealthy gain, low-income people lose from GOP megabill, analysis finds, by POLITICO's Ben Leonard
— Musk's decision to limit political spending leaves some Republicans cold, by POLITICO's Liz Crampton, Andrew Howard and Holly Otterbein
— Cowboy conservatism takes over the Wyoming House, by your Playbook host!
IN MEMORIAM
— Jim Irsay, longtime Indianapolis Colts owner and Chicago-area native, dies at 65, by The Associated Press' Michael Marot
TRANSITIONS
— David Theyssen has returned to Neal Gerber Eisenberg as a partner in the real estate practice group. He was a partner at Gozdecki, Del Giudice, Americus & Brocato. He had worked at Neal Gerber Eisenberg from 2011 to 2019, rising from associate to partner.
— John Muno is now a partner in Sidley's investment funds group in the Chicago office. He was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.
EVENTS
— Saturday: Chicago Ald. Jeanette Taylor is promoting the South Side Youth Explosion, which will offer STI/STD and dental checkups, job opportunities, free food and live music. Details here
— Monday: The Wellington Oakdale Old Glory Marching Society will celebrate its annual Memorial Day Parade. Details here
— June 6: Jeremy Piven is coming to the Vic. Tickets here and here.
TRIVIA
WEDNESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Josh Mogerman for correctly answering that before Lake Michigan was well-filtered, some Chicagoans found minnows in their tap water. Ew!
TODAY's QUESTION: What 1984 campaign helped to launch the careers of both David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel? Email skapos@politico.com
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Sidley Austin partner and former Inspector General David Hoffman, former state Sen. Edward Maloney, Rev. Michael Pfleger, Veterans for All Voters CEO Todd Connor defense attorney Shay Allen and Diane Goldring, who is chief of staff to Illinois Majority Leader Robyn Gabel
And belated greetings to Tony Presta, deputy chief of staff to Congresswoman Robin Kelly
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