Chicago mayor does his best Donald Trump.

'If you ain't with us, you gotta go'

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's recent statement, "If you ain't with us, you just gotta go," echoes a sentiment of divisiveness and intolerance for dissent that has also been seen in the political purges led by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Johnson's declaration came during an event where he expressed regret for not removing holdovers from the previous administration more swiftly. His words signal a forthcoming shake-up in his administration, aimed at ensuring loyalty and alignment with his vision. There was nothing said about the staffers’ competence or ability.

Similarly, Trump and Musk's efforts to downsize the federal workforce have been marked by a "deferred resignation" program, pressuring employees to resign or face termination. This initiative, spearheaded by Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been criticized as a coercive tactic to replace experienced civil servants with political loyalists.

Both scenarios reflect a broader trend of political purges where loyalty is paramount and dissent is swiftly dealt with.

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Speaking Monday night at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church on the city’s south side, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson threatened to purge City Hall workers and staffers who worked in previous administrations or who were critical of his regime.

Sounding a lot like Pres. Trump and his DOGE boys, Johnson shouted to the mainly-black congregation, “If you ain’t with us, you just gotta go.”

Johnson actually began his term by unceremoniously firing the city’s health commissioner and infectious disease expert, Dr. Allison Arwady, who was hired by former mayor Rahm Emanuel and named Chicago Health Commissioner by Lori Lightfoot and who had steered Chicago through the COVID-19 pandemic. Other key Lightfoot and Rahm Emanuel appointees were also purged.

According to S-T reporter Fran Spielman, Johnson was actually self-critical for not launching his political purge earlier.

“If there was something I could change or do differently or just reset, I would have cleaned house faster,” Johnson said.

After a long pause, Johnson harkened back to his religious background as a preacher’s son.

“I was raised a certain way. I’m just being honest. And there were a number of people that I inherited in my administration. And I was trying to show Godly presentation that we can work with people who come from other administrations. … They don’t have to agree with me 100% to work within my administration,” the mayor said.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have done that. If you ain’t with us, you just gotta go. So now I’m in a position now where I’ll be making some decisions in the days to come because playing nice with other people who ain’t about us — it’s just a waste of exercise,” he said.

The church audience seemed stunned by the mayor’s candor. Several people could be heard saying, “Oooh” and “Wow.”

“So there’s a whole bunch of people saying, ‘Oh, shoot. Who’s about to get fired?’” Johnson added. “Well, you about to find out. Stay tuned.”

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From my perspective, as someone who voted for both Lightfoot and Johnson, the Mayor’s political purges are not a sign of strength, as he claims, but a sign of weakness. Aside from sounding like the White House autocrat, Johnson’s lack of experience, while surrounded by a small, “left”-sectarian clique running the show on the 5th floor, helps explain the constant chaos, turmoil, and confusion hanging over the day-to-day operations at City Hall and especially over at the Chicago Public Schools.

Johnson's divisive approach has destabilized CPS. His ongoing conflict with CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, coupled with the mass resignations of the school board members, has created a climate of uncertainty and tension. Critics argue that this instability could negatively impact the district's ability to effectively manage its $9.9 billion budget and implement long-term educational plans. The situation has also emboldened right-wing political opponents who see an opportunity to take advantage of the chaos.

Trump and Musk may be able to pull off their purge with the acquiescence of congressional Democrats. But Trump’s approval rating is relatively high right now (53%) while Johnson’s rating (14%) is the lowest in Chicago mayoral history.

Instead of threatening another round of purges, whether at City Hall or the Board of Education, the mayor would do better by returning to the lessons he learned in his father’s church about respecting others, even those who may disagree with him on some issues. He needs to broaden, not shrink, his base of support and save his hip-shooting for his fast-approaching real MAGA enemies.