Recently revealed text messages uncovered by the Chicago Tribune show Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot berating other politicians and colleagues with invective more worthy of a school yard bully than the chief executive officer of America’s third largest city.
“Lightfoot’s brusque style is no secret,” reported the Tribune. “But a trove of text messages, recently obtained by the Chicago Tribune, further reveals the extent to which the Democratic mayor — who campaigned as a reformer aiming to unite the city — at times resorts to name-calling and shaming of her perceived enemies as she governs the city.”
This makes me deeply sad. People are scared and hurting and dying and the mayor’s texts read like a middle school burn book. It’s hard to imagine progress with this level of disdain and dysfunction.https://t.co/smz8yiMAV6
— Heidi Stevens (@HeidiStevens13) December 9, 2021
Some of the insults directed by the mayor at individuals include “full of crap,” “bush league” and “jackass,” said the Tribune.
Lightfoot called one official a “dumb, dumb person of color,” according to the Trib.
The texts are part of a Freedom of Information Act request by the newspaper that covers the last two-and-half years of Lightfoot’s texts.
The reveal of the text messages stands in contrast to the high ground that Lightfoot has tried to claim with others and when running for office.
In September, Lightfoot called on a Chicago alderman to apologize for his language after a series of his smutty, insulting texts had been made public via a local blog.
“Mayor Lori Lightfoot Monday called on Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) to publicly apologize for a series of profane texts,” said the Chicago Sun Times, “which included a swear word directed at an alderman and another alderman’s chief of staff.”
One local newsman took to Twitter to blast the mayor as breaking an important campaign promise.
“As I read the mayor’s texts,” tweeted Chicago Tribune reporter Gregory Pratt, “I remembered her declaring at @hideoutchicago that she would be different than [former Chicago mayor] Rahm Emanuel because she wouldn’t lead with her middle finger.”
Others Twitter users were more damning.
“This makes me deeply sad,” said Heidi Stevens, a local writer. “People are scared and hurting and dying and the mayor’s texts read like a middle school burn book. It’s hard to imagine progress with this level of disdain and dysfunction.”
Chicago, in addition to having to deal with the COVID pandemic, has been plagued by gun violence, looting and anti-police protests over the last two years.
