Trump targets Chicago, praises law enforcement in address to Congress

During his televised address to Congress, President Donald Trump vowed to end the “cycle of violence” and “cycle of poverty” while praising law enforcement.

“Every American child should be able to grow up in a safe community, to attend a great school, and to have access to a high-paying job,” President Trump said Tuesday night. “But to create this future, we must work with — not against — the men and women of law enforcement.”

In what has become a strong political focus, Trump singled out the violence in Chicago, stating, “The murder rate in 2015 experienced its largest single-year increase in nearly half a century. In Chicago, more than 4,000 people were shot last year alone — and the murder rate so far this year has been even higher.”

Contrary to his predecessor, Barack Obama, whose administration focused more on law enforcement overhaul — including the investigation of racial bias within police departments — Trump has chosen the position of law and order to address police-community relations.

“We must build bridges of cooperation and trust — not drive the wedge of disunity and division. Police and sheriffs are members of our community. They are friends and neighbors, they are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters — and they leave behind loved ones every day who worry whether or not they’ll come home safe and sound,” he said.

The president also said that in order to combat the poverty in certain communities, the issue of violence must first be addressed.

In his address, Trump also declared education as the “civil rights issue of our time,” and called on Congress to work together to reform President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.