Fox News anchor Bret Baier pressed Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday over Chicago’s murder rate, challenging the governor’s claim that the city is not among the most dangerous in the country.
During the exclusive Fox News interview, Baier presented data showing Chicago at the top of the list of America’s most populous cities when ranked by murder rate. He asked, “Why does Chicago have the highest murder rate of all the big cities?” Pritzker immediately disagreed, responding that “we are not in the top 30, in terms of our murder rate,” and went on to say that violent crime has dropped statewide over the past four years.
Baier then held up a graphic and pushed back. He said Chicago is “number one over Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, and San Diego,” directly contradicting the governor’s statement. Pritzker insisted Chicago’s murder rate has been reduced significantly, saying it “has been cut in half over the last four years, and every year, it’s gone down by double digits.”
The exchange grew tense as Baier clarified, “No, no, no, these are murders,” making it clear he was referring specifically to homicide data, not broader violent crime metrics. Pritzker tried to shift the focus, responding, “I’m explaining to you, our murder rate has been cut in half and –– very importantly Bret –– you gotta hear this: very importantly, we’ve been doing the things that are necessary to bring crime down.”
According to Wirepoints, an Illinois-based research group, Chicago recorded 573 murders in 2024 — the highest total of any major U.S. city that year. New York City followed with 377 murders, and Houston had 322. While Chicago ranked sixth in overall homicide rate per capita, it was first among the 20 largest U.S. cities. The group noted Chicago’s rate was 21.5 homicides per 100,000 people, while smaller cities like St. Louis were higher due to population size differences.
Baier suggested Pritzker was using a different statistical category when making his claim that Chicago was not in the top 30, saying, “Now, you’re talking about violent crime.” Pritzker responded, “Look, you can pull statistics up, I can too,” but Baier reiterated, “These are murders.”
Despite the clash, Pritzker noted that crime trends in Chicago are moving in the right direction. Chicago Police Department preliminary data shows total murders from January to August 2025 are one-third lower compared to the same period in 2024.