Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was embarrassingly heckled about the slew of migrants that have entered the Democratic city.
Johnston, who stood next to Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas during a press conference on January 13 about stabbings that had occurred in the city over the weekend, was called a ‘f***ing coward mayor’ by a man in the crowd.
‘Yeah, I saw you at the parade, you f***ing coward mayor,’ a person yelled as Johnston turned his head toward them.
Another then chimed in, derailing the mayor’s train of thought: ‘It’s your fault! Crime-loving Democrats are burning this city down!’
Johnston, who became mayor in 2023, then turned his attention back to the podium, smirking a bit, as Thomas tried to continue on with his statement.
‘You f***ing a**hole,’ another shouted. Someone else shouted something inaudible as a sign language interpreter continued on.
After the heckling died down, Thomas grabbed the microphone and said: ‘I’m sorry, can you repeat the question?’
In December it was revealed in a new study that Denver has spent a staggering $356 million of taxpayer money on migrants in the city, amid growing resentment from residents who say the migrant crisis has crippled the city.
The figure was revealed by the Common Sense Institute (CSI), finding that Johnston has spent the equivalent of $7,900 per migrant in his city.
Mayor Mike Johnston, who stood next to Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas during a recent press conference, was called a ‘f**ing coward mayor’ by a man in the crowd
He was repeatedly heckled about his support of allowing migrants into the city. (Pictured: Johnston in September 2023)
Denver’s sanctuary city status has come under scrutiny amid the huge influx of migrants, which CSI estimates has seen around 45,000 migrants arrive in the Democratic city since December 2022.
Johnston has insisted he is ‘not afraid’ of being jailed over his staunch opposition to President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans.
The Democrat leader has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump and his new ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan, who has directly threatened Johnston with jail time if he stands in their way.
In an appearance with Fox News’ Hannity, Homan said: ‘Me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing; he’s willing to go to jail. I’m willing to put him in jail.’
Johnston has argued that the deportation plan is an inhumane solution to the migrant crisis, and described it to CNN as ’10-year-old kids being taken out of class in handcuffs.’
He also compared Trump’s mass deportation plans to the infamous 1989 Tiananmen square protests in China and insisted that Denver residents support his efforts.
‘More than us having [Denver Police] stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,’ he said.
‘It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. And you do not want to mess with them.’
In December it was revealed in a new study that Denver has spent a staggering $356 million of taxpayer money on migrants in the city. (Pictured: Migrants lying on the floor of a makeshift shelter in Denver in January 2023)
The politician’s comment is a reference to the student-led pro democracy protests centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square which ended up becoming China’s greatest political upheaval since the end of the Cultural Revolution more than a decade earlier.
For seven weeks, tens of thousands of people gathered in the square demanding economic, social and political liberalization following decades of repression under the Chinese Communist Party.
The protests turned deadly when the Chinese government deployed troops who engaged in bloody clashes with demonstrators, leaving several hundred dead.
Johnston also highlighted that city police would not assist in federal immigration enforcement and noted that Colorado is unlikely to allow federal forces to take action within the state.
He is not the only Democratic leader looking to challenge the incoming Trump administration.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently said he would uphold his state’s sanctuary policies and declared that: ‘If you come for my people, you come through me.’
Johnston has insisted he was ‘not afraid’ of being jailed over his staunch opposition to President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans
There are nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants across the US currently, according to the Center for Migration Studies. (Pictured: Colombian migrants in Denver in February 2024)
There are nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants across the US currently, according to the Center for Migration Studies.
Trump clinched the 2024 presidential election after a campaign that promised large-scale deportations of undocumented migrants and a return to fast-tracked deportations to Mexico, in addition to halting entries across the US border with Mexico.
The president-elect’s proposed immigration policies also include ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.
During his previous administration, between 2017 and 2021, Trump put in place policies that left hundreds of thousands of migrants stranded in camps along the Mexican border, reshaping U.S. immigration politics.
More than 3,000 Mexican migrants were pictured marching towards America on Election Day earlier this month after Trump vowed to carry out ‘the largest deportation operation in American history.’
US Border Patrol was aware the election could trigger mass migrations of asylum seekers, according to sources who told that the migrants wanted to arrive in the country as ‘one last f*** you to America’ before Trump takes office.
