Mayor Johnson fires back at Trump, talks CPS deal, and denies asking CPS CEO to resign

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sat down with FOX 32's Paris Schutz for an exclusive one-on-one interview, addressing key issues such as federal funding threats to Chicago Public Schools, the tentative CTU-CPS agreement, and the firing of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez.

Exclusive Interview With Mayor Johnson

Federal Funding Threats:

The Trump administration has reportedly threatened to withhold over $1 billion in federal funding from CPS due to concerns over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

"We're going to do everything necessary to fight this administration as it attacks working people. And all of our options have to remain on the table. We have to organize, we have to legislate, we have to invest and take legal actions if necessary because what we do know is everything that he's doing right now is clear that he does not believe in the sensibility of our democracy," Johnson said. "He has literally just dismissed the Constitution," Johnson said. 

He added, "Even what he's proposing, allegedly proposing by dismantling of the Department of Education, he doesn't have the authority to do that. But this president doesn't care."

CPS-CTU Tentative Agreement:

Johnson also reflected on the tentative agreement between CTU and CPS, which follows nearly a year of tense negotiations, attempted firings, and school board resignations

If finalized, the agreement would include 4% to 5% pay raises over four years, smaller class sizes, and additional staff funding. However, CPS has yet to determine how to finance the agreement.

The CTU is set to vote on the contract Monday.

Johnson emphasized the importance of creating sustainable community schools with smaller class sizes, expanded arts and music resources, and more opportunities for extracurricular activities.

"We have now doubled the amount of resources for arts and music and extracurricular activities for our sports, right? We have children who are low income can now go to field trips that was not possible before. And so what we have is a reflection of my values. We have a reflection of what parents need and the cost of that certainly the overall fiduciary responsibility that we have to secure an education system that every single child in the city of Chicago deserves," Johnson said. 

Union's Power in Negotiations:

When asked about the union’s influence in the negotiations, Johnson clarified that he did not negotiate the contract but played a role in bringing people together to understand how close they were to a resolution.

"Look, I didn't negotiate the contract. I brought people together so that folks understood how close they were. This is about a vision for our schools and what it means to have a mayor who understands that vision," Johnson said.

"If you think about just the long history of our public education system, the ongoing fights, whether it's the 1987 strike, Jackie Vaughn and Harold Washington, the longest strike in the history of Chicago, whether it was the Willis wagons, where families were stuffed into these mobiles because the system wasn't committed to ensuring that we actually had class sizes that are small and have a full investment. You think about the closures of schools. For the first time in 15 years, you actually have labor peace," Johnson added. 

"Now all the chaos that I inherited, I take full responsibility for this moment that we're in now. But we have levels set. And the people of Chicago counted on me to speak to their values and their interests. And that's what we did," the mayor said. 

CPS CEO's Resignation:

Regarding the firing of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, Johnson denied claims that he had asked Martinez to step down. 

"I didn't. It's just that simple. And here's the thing, it is not about Pedro. It's about the families of this city," Johnson said.

The mayor emphasized that his focus has always been on the people of Chicago, particularly teachers, students, and families.

"I've never made this person know about me. I've always made it about centering it around working people in this city," Johnson said.

"The biggest threat that we are experiencing right now is that we have a tyrant in the White House who doesn't believe in the very values in which we are lifting up in the City of Chicago. We're going to continue to lead the way because the schools that all of our children deserve is something that we have hoped for in this city for a very long time and now we're a lot closer to that full experience than we've ever been," Johnson added. 

You can watch the full interview with Johnson in the video player above.