Democrat Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday that racism is to blame for 99% of the criticism about her temperament, according to the Chicago Tribune.
During an interview, Lightfoot was asked about comments people have made about her temperament. The interviewer asked the mayor how much of the criticism she thinks is due to her race.
“About 99%,” said Lightfoot in response, according to the Chicago Tribune. (RELATED: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Giving Interviews Only To Journalists Of Color)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says criticism of her temperament is ‘about 99%’ due to fact she’s a Black woman https://t.co/Vi5ekkwZjv
— Chicago Tribune Politics (@ChiTribCloutSt) June 30, 2021
“Look at my predecessors. Did people say that Rich Daley held tea sessions with people that he (disagreed with)? Rahm Emanuel was a polite guy who was a uniter? No,” said Lightfoot, according to the Chicago Tribune. “Women and people of color are always held to a different standard. I understand that, I’ve known that my whole life.”
The turnover rate within Lightfoot’s administration has been high during her two years in office. A dozen staff members have resigned or stated their intention to leave since late last year, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Lightfoot’s current and former advisors claim the mayor is difficult to approach and does not listen to advice. Last May, she emailed three of her advisors a photo of destroyed documents. In January, she emailed her scheduler complaining that she doesn’t get enough time in the office. In the email, she aggressively repeated many sentences, one of which was written 16 times, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Lightfoot is also known for using harsh language with other officials. “Don’t come to me for s—”, she once told aldermen if they voted against her budget, The Chicago Tribune reported.