The city of Chicago, a long-standing target for dog-whistling conservatives, is facing a federal investigation related to the city’s hiring of Black employees.

On Tuesday, Mayor Brandon Johnson vowed not to be intimidated by the Trump administration after it announced a civil rights probe into his recent comments at a Black church, where he touted his record of diverse hiring — including his hiring of Black employees in comparison with the largely white administrations that preceded him — and praised these workers’ ability to look out for people of all races despite Black people historically facing systemic roadblocks to their success.

Having listened to Johnson’s comments in full, I found it absurd that conservatives have sought to portray the remarks as though they were about giving Black people preferential treatment.

The Justice Department’s investigation, which Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon is calling a look into whether Chicago is “engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race,” is just the latest sign that Dhillon — a pro-MAGA lawyer — has perverted the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and transformed it into a weapon that the Trump administration can use for its bigoted culture wars. The administration has sought to outlaw diversity efforts by public and private entities, an apparent extension of Trump’s open vow to address what he called “a definite anti-white feeling” in the United States.

On Tuesday, Johnson forcefully rebuked the administration, saying of Trump: “You would be hard-pressed to find qualified individuals who are in his administration. You know, as my administration reflects the country, it reflects the city, his administration reflects the country club.” According to data Johnson’s office provided to CBS News, 34% of his 105 employees are Black, 30% are white, 23% are Hispanic, 7% are Asian and 5% are two or more ethnicities.

“I’m giving people some confidence that I’m not going to ignore any particular group, especially groups that have been marginalized,” Johnson said, adding: “I’m not going to be intimidated or allow the failures of the past to dictate how we move forward.”

This isn’t the first instance of the Trump administration targeting Chicago: In April, the administration threatened to withhold educational funding from the Chicago school system over its Black Student Success Plan, which was designed to improve opportunity gaps that discriminatory practices have created for Black students.

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The Justice Department’s investigation, which Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon is calling a look into whether Chicago is “engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race,” is just the latest sign that Dhillon — a pro-MAGA lawyer — has perverted the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and transformed it into a weapon that the Trump administration can use for its bigoted culture wars. The administration has sought to outlaw diversity efforts by public and private entities, an apparent extension of Trump’s open vow to address what he called “a definite anti-white feeling” in the United States.