After calling for the use of the controversial "stop-and-frisk" police practice to combat crime on Wednesday, Donald Trump clarified his comments to say he really only meant in Chicago.
"Look, we had tremendous shootings, numbers of shootings. Now, Chicago is out of control and I was really referring to Chicago with stop-and-frisk," the Republican presidential nominee said in a phone interview with Fox & Friends Thursday morning. "They asked me about Chicago and I was talking about stop-and-frisk for Chicago," he added.
Trump intended to clarify comments made in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that was broadcast Wednesday evening. In that interview, an audience member asked the nominee about addressing "violence in the black community," to which he proposed expanding the policy in which officers may stop and question individuals, possibly searching those they find suspicious. Critics of the practice say it can lead to racial profiling.
"I would do stop-and-frisk. I think you have to. We did it in New York, it worked incredibly well," he said. "You understand, you have to have, in my opinion, I see what’s going on here, I see what’s going on in Chicago, I think stop-and-frisk. In New York City it was so incredible, the way it worked. Now, we had a very good mayor, but New York City was incredible, the way that worked, so I think that could be one step you could do."
"I think Chicago needs stop-and-frisk," Trump said Thursday. "Now, people can criticize me for that or people can say whatever they want. But they asked me about Chicago and I think stop-and-frisk with good strong, you know, good strong law and order. But you have to do something. It can’t continue the way it’s going," he added.
The Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time the nominee has mentioned Chicago's violence, drawing harsh criticism for tweeting in August that the murder of Dwyane Wade's cousin is an example of why black voters will support him.
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Just days earlier he also said that he met with a "top" Chicago officer who believed the city's violence could be stopped within a week using "tough police tactics," a claim that the Chicago Police Department refuted.
"No one in the senior command at CPD has ever met with Donald Trump or a member of his campaign," a CPD spokesperson said in a statement.
