Former Obama campaign strategist and CNN political analyst David Axelrod publicly criticized Chicago’s response after he said he encountered an unconscious elderly man lying in the scorching summer heat outside the Art Institute of Chicago, raising concerns about how the city handles vulnerable individuals during dangerous weather conditions.
In a post shared on X, Axelrod recounted walking past the museum on July 1 when he noticed what appeared to be a homeless elderly man lying unconscious on the stone steps outside the building. According to Axelrod, the incident unfolded as the city was experiencing sweltering temperatures, with the heat index reaching dangerous levels.
At the time, Axelrod said Chicago’s real-feel temperature had climbed to 107 degrees Fahrenheit. AccuWeather listed the official temperature at 97 degrees, with a real-feel temperature of 106 degrees as of publication.
Alarmed by the sight, Axelrod said he approached a security guard at the museum to ask about the man’s condition. According to Axelrod, the guard explained that she had already awakened the man three separate times and encouraged him to move into a shaded area. Despite those efforts, she reportedly told Axelrod that the man refused each time and remained where he was.
Unsatisfied with that response, Axelrod said he decided to call 911 in hopes that emergency personnel would check on the man.
According to Axelrod, after he described the situation, the emergency operator asked him a single question: “Well, is he ASKING for help?”
Axelrod said he replied that the man had not requested assistance because he appeared to be unconscious. He alleged that the operator then responded, “Well I’m not going to send anyone.”
Following the exchange, Axelrod said no one was dispatched to the location.
“So the man remained, passed out in the blazing noon sun,” Axelrod wrote. “I guess that’s how the City of Chicago deals with such situations.”
The longtime Democratic strategist later reflected on his own actions, acknowledging that he may have been able to do more himself. Axelrod said that, in hindsight, he could have attempted to wake the man personally and persuade him to move into the shade instead of relying on emergency services.
Instead, he admitted that he continued on his way.
“I moved on, like many others who simply ignored him,” Axelrod wrote, adding that he was embarrassed he had not done more to intervene.
While Axelrod did not connect the incident to any specific city policy or broader explanation for the man’s presence outside the museum, he expressed concern about the consequences of inaction.
He said he hopes “we’re not all complicit in assisting an unintended suicide.”
The incident comes as homelessness remains a significant issue in Chicago. According to estimates from the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, approximately 58,625 people were experiencing homelessness across the city through 2024. The organization also reported that only 32% of that population was identified through the federally mandated Point-in-Time count.
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