Peoria Standard

Darin LaHood, U.S. Congressman representing Illinois’ 16th district, posted a series of statements on social media criticizing local and global leadership, with particular focus on public safety in Chicago and international security concerns.

On September 2, 2025, LaHood addressed recent violence in Chicago by stating: "After more than a week of Chicago Mayor Johnson and Gov. Pritzker not being truthful with the public about the safety of Chicago, 55 people were shot and 7 killed over the holiday weekend. Their refusal to acknowledge the level of crime in Chicago goes against their duty to". This post referenced ongoing debates about transparency and accountability among city and state officials regarding crime rates.

A follow-up tweet posted seconds later included only a link: "https://t.co/PyIHZDbUi1" (September 2, 2025).

The next day, LaHood commented on international affairs, writing: "Authoritarian unity on full display for the world to see. There has never been a clearer sign of our need to be prepared to counter the malign actions of the world’s most prominent tyrants, despots, dictators and international criminals. America won’t be intimidated — we’ll be https://t.co/i3XjwMmbb5" (September 3, 2025).

LaHood has served in Congress since replacing Aaron Schock in 2015 as representative for Illinois’ 16th district. In the most recent general election held in 2022, he defeated Elizabeth Haderlein with approximately two-thirds of the vote.