Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and President Donald Trump are blasting Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago officials after a 26-year-old woman was doused in gasoline and set on fire aboard a CTA train, calling the attack a direct consequence of what they described as “soft-on-crime” criminal-justice policies.
Duffy took to X on Tuesday, writing: “Soft-on-crime policies like cashless bail under @GovPritzker are responsible for the horrific attack on Bethany MaGee on Chicago’s L train. We CANNOT allow senseless crimes to continue under Democratic leadership. Just like the murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, and now the crime against Bethany, justice MUST BE SERVED.”
Soft-on-crime policies like cashless bail under @GovPritzker are responsible for the horrific attack on Bethany MaGee on Chicago’s L train.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 25, 2025
We CANNOT allow senseless crimes to continue under Democratic leadership.
Just like the murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, and now… https://t.co/fjZj4SAhWf
Authorities identified the victim as Bethany MaGee, who was attacked on Nov. 17 by a man who prosecutors have labeled a serial offender with an extensive criminal history. Federal officials say the suspect, Lawrence Reed, 50, has been charged with terrorism and could face the death penalty if convicted.
In a series of posts, Duffy emphasized the danger he says repeat offenders pose under current Illinois policies.
“It is devastating that a career criminal with 72 PRIOR ARRESTS is now accused of attacking 26-year-old Bethany MaGee on Chicago’s L train, and setting her on fire,” he wrote.
It is devastating that a career criminal with 72 PRIOR ARRESTS is now accused of attacking 26-year-old Bethany MaGee on Chicago’s L train, and setting her on fire.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 23, 2025
This would never have happened if this thug had been behind bars. Yet Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the… https://t.co/1vaHyCd8sp
“This would never have happened if this thug had been behind bars. Yet Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the streets… Chicago’s carelessness is putting the American people at risk. No one should ever have to fear for their life on the subway.”
Brutal attack captured in federal complaint
According to the criminal complaint, MaGee was seated on a downtown Chicago Red Line train around 9 p.m. when Reed allegedly approached her from behind, removed the cap from a bottle, and poured liquid all over her head and body. When she tried to escape, prosecutors say Reed pursued her, retrieved the bottle after dropping it, and ignited it, setting MaGee on fire.
MaGee, engulfed in flames, managed to run off the train before collapsing on the platform, where bystanders rushed to help before paramedics transported her in critical condition.
Surveillance footage obtained by investigators shows Reed purchasing gasoline and filling a plastic drink bottle at a gas station roughly 20 minutes before the attack. He was arrested the following day.
Long criminal history and prior violent incidents
Reed’s record includes 22 arrests since 2016 and 53 criminal cases in Cook County dating back to 1993, officials said. Nine of those were felony convictions. Despite the lengthy record, Reed has served just two short stints in jail totaling about 2.5 years.
Court documents reviewed by local outlets also show Reed assaulted a social worker this summer at a psychiatric facility, knocking her unconscious and leaving her with “likely optic nerve damage and a concussion.” Prosecutors requested detention, but a judge released him with an ankle monitor.
At a detention hearing Friday, federal prosecutors argued Reed “presents a clear danger and persistent threat of terror to the community,” with U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros writing that state courts had been “unable to contain defendant’s violent crimes.” ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon added: “Lawrence Reed had no business being on the streets given his violent criminal history and his pending criminal cases.”
Trump calls Chicago crime ‘out of control’
President Donald Trump also weighed in during the White House turkey pardoning ceremony on Tuesday, sharply criticizing Chicago’s mayor and the governor.
Trump is PISSED that a beautiful young woman was set on fire on a Chicago train by a career criminal thug arrested 72 times:
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) November 25, 2025
“The Mayor is incompetent and the Governor is a big, fat, SLOB.” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tnOqHnjG7Y
“They burned this beautiful woman riding in a train,” Trump said, noting Reed’s 72 prior arrests.
“The liberal judges will let him out again… It’s out of control. The mayor is incompetent, and the governor is a big, fat slob. He ought to invite us in, say, please make Chicago safe… We could make Chicago a safe city in a period of four weeks.”
Chicago officials defend their approach
The attack has revived debate over Chicago’s criminal-justice policies. In August, Mayor Brandon Johnson said efforts to incarcerate more offenders were “racist, immora and unholy” as he and Pritzker pushed back against Trump’s threat to deploy the National Guard.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson: "We can't jail our way out of vioIence… it's racist" pic.twitter.com/IdroYZaKiG
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 25, 2025
“We cannot incarcerate our way out of violence… The addiction on jails and incarceration in this country, we’ve moved past that,” Johnson said at the time. “It is racist, it is immoral, it is unholy, and it is not the way to drive violence down.”
THANKSGIVING PRICES DECLINE FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Musk weighs in
As clips of Johnson’s comments resurfaced, Elon Musk responded Tuesday on X, writing:
“Murderous thugs should be incarcerated so that can’t murder people. Doesn’t matter what their race is. Obviously.”
The case against Reed is ongoing, and MaGee remains hospitalized in critical condition.
