CHICAGO (LifeSiteNews) — Father Michael Pfleger, the senior pastor of St. Sabina Church in the South Side of Chicago, told President Donald Trump to “shut up” and restore federal funding that would allegedly combat the city’s gun violence after the president discussed the city’s violent weekend that saw several people killed and many more wounded in a Truth Social post.
In his brief remarks during a Monday press conference at Chicago City Hall, Pfleger, who has a long history of heterodoxy and championing leftist causes, noted Trump’s June 21 Truth Social post, in which the president offered to help make Chicago a safe city following a particularly violent weekend, which saw 24 shootings resulting in six people killed and 39 wounded. The priest then called on Trump to “shut up” and restore federal funding for gun violence prevention.
“Shut up, Donald. Just send money and restore the money you took away from gun violence prevention for the city of Chicago and across this country. Give the money back now,” Pfleger said.
In Trump’s Truth Social post, which the priest cited, the 47th president noted the bloodshed over the weekend, questioned why Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker hadn’t asked for his help, and appeared to suggest sending the National Guard to make Chicago a safer city. The president claimed he could make the Windy City safe “in ONE MONTH” and that “in ONE YEAR, it would be one of the safest cities.”
Lots of Killing going on in Chicago. 22 people shot, at least 4 Dead. Why isn’t Governor Pritzker calling me for help. I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH, in ONE YEAR, it would be one of the safest!!! D.C. went from one of the worst, to one of the safest cities in the… pic.twitter.com/fMtCKnOt5e
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) June 21, 2026
Pfleger has a long history of promoting pro-abortion politicians and public figures. The priest became the most high-profile Catholic supporter of pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2007, praising him as “the best thing to come across the political scene since Bobby Kennedy.”
For his open advocacy on behalf of the future president, the late Cardinal Francis George, then-archbishop of Chicago, sanctioned the priest, requiring him to take a “temporary leave of absence” to “contemplate his controversial remarks,” which violated the “discipline common to all Catholic priests.”
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Pfleger has also handed over the pulpit at St. Sabina to several pro-abortion figures over the years, such as singer Harry Belafonte, who criticized former president George W. Bush for threatening a “woman’s right to abortion,” as well as former pro-abortion Democrat presidential candidate Al Sharpton.
In 2011, Cdl. George suspended the priest again for combative remarks, indicating he would prefer to leave the Catholic Church than his parish, when the archdiocese planned to transition him to a new pastoral role at a nearby high school. After apologizing, George restored him to his parish.
In addition to platforming pro-abortion figures, Pfleger has also advocated for the “ordination” of women to the priesthood and an end to priestly celibacy.
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In 2021, Pfleger was asked to step down over decades-old allegations of child sexual abuse; however, he was reinstated just months later after the archdiocese determined there was “insufficient reason” to suspect he was guilty of the allegations.
Just over a year later, in the fall of 2022, the priest was suspended from ministry again over new allegations of sexual abuse, but was reinstated before Christmas after an independent review board concluded there was no reason to suspect he was guilty of the charges.