West Side Democrat: Chicago should welcome president - not be 'Trump-free zone'

A West Side Democrat says Mayor Rahm Emanuel should work more closely with President Donald Trump to bring resources to Chicago to combat the gun violence epidemic - declaring that the city isn't a "Trump-free zone."

Appearing on Fox & Friends on Monday morning, state Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat, said Emanuel should work with Trump to help the communities most affected by violence. Weekend shootings left 12 dead and 59 others wounded and brought Chicago once again in the national spotlight for gun violence.

Much of the violence happened on the West Side in Ford's 8th House District. Ford told the Sun-Times three people were shot, one fatally, just steps from his church at 7 a.m.: "That's unbelievable," he said.

The lawmaker took to Republican friendly airwaves to push the mayor to work with the Republican president, despite Emanuel's long-standing legal and political battle against Trump. Emanuel's feud against Trump in a Democratic city is considered a no-risk battle to try to rebuild the mayor's national image and his popularity among Chicago Hispanics most threatened by Trump's immigration policies, and by the president's threat to cut off funding to sanctuary cities.

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