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President Donald Trump took to social media early Tuesday morning to comment on how one major city’s "murder and crime" rate contributed to the decline of a shopping mall that was "once considered our nation’s best." “The Miracle Mile Shopping Center in Chicago, once considered our Nation’s BEST, now has a more than 28% vacancy factor, and is ready to call it quits unless something is done about the murder and crime, which is prevalent throughout the City,” the president penned on Truth Social at 12:51 a.m. on Nov. 11. He added: “CALL IN THE TROOPS, FAST, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!” However, there is no Miracle Mile Shopping Center in the city of Chicago, as the president claimed. Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Monroeville, Pennsylvania all have shopping malls or centers by that name, but none exist in Chicago or even in Illinois. There is, however, a Magnificent Mile shopping district in Chicago, which the president likely was referring to. The Magnificent Mile spans 13 blocks in downtown Chicago and offers high-end shopping and fine dining. At the end of his Truth Social post, Trump wrote “Just the News,” which is the name of a conservative news outlet. As the Daily Beast hypothesized, Trump likely was referring to an article published by the outlet on Saturday, Nov. 8 titled “Chicago Blues: Downtown office space vacancy rate jumps to record high levels.” The article notes that Chicago’s downtown office vacancy rate has reached a record high of 28%, which is likely where Trump got that figure. However, it appears to refer strictly to the office space rather than to the shopping and dining offerings. Additionally, Trump claimed that the vacancies are a result of the “murder and crime,” but the article doesn’t mention that as a contributing factor. Instead, it attributes the uptick in vacancies to shifts in work culture following the COVID-19 pandemic, as more employers offer remote or hybrid roles. Trump has made multiple statements claiming Chicago is the most dangerous city in the country, even going as far as to claim it is “THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!” He has also pledged to send troops there, but has faced pushback from local Democratic leaders and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
