Former chief strategist and senior advisor to President Barack Obama, David Axelrod, has criticized the city of Chicago after an encounter with an unresponsive elderly man, alleging that a 911 operator refused to dispatch assistance. Axelrod detailed the incident on social media platform X, stating he observed the man, whom he described as possibly homeless, passed out on the front steps of the Art Institute of Chicago on Wednesday.
Axelrod, 71, reported speaking with a security guard who had reportedly tried to rouse the man multiple times to encourage him to move into the shade. According to Axelrod, the man refused each attempt. When Axelrod then called 911, he claimed the operator asked if the man was requesting help, and upon receiving a negative response, stated no one would be sent.
"So the man remained, passed out in the blazing noon sun," Axelrod wrote. "I guess that's how the City of Chicago deals with such situations." He expressed concern, adding, "I hope we're not all complicit in assisting an unintended suicide."
The real feel temperature in Chicago at the time was reportedly 107 degrees Fahrenheit, with an extreme heat warning in effect from Monday through Friday, according to the National Weather Service. This weather poses a significant risk to the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.
Axelrod, who served as a senior adviser to Obama from 2009 to 2011, reflected on his own actions, stating he was embarrassed that he did not try to persuade the man to move. He tagged Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Police Department, and the Art Institute of Chicago in his post.
The Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness estimates there are approximately 58,600 homeless individuals in the city. Chicago has a total population of about 2.7 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The city's leadership has previously drawn criticism from former President Donald Trump, who has frequently commented on Chicago's crime rates and governance. Trump has often referred to the city as a "hellhole" and has at times suggested federal intervention.
In December, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Chicago and other cities led by Democrats would have been "GONE if it weren't for the Federal Government stepping in." He had previously deployed National Guard troops to the area, though their effectiveness was limited by legal challenges. Trump's administration had also been barred by the Supreme Court from sending National Guard troops to Chicago and other cities.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Axelrod, the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago mayor's office, and the Art Institute of Chicago for further comment.
