Greta Van Susteren Fact Checks Donald Trump: He Was Correct

Greta Van Susteren

Last night Donald J. Trump laid much blame for the poverty and unrest in our urban communities on the Democrats and what he describes as essentially failed policies. I wanted to know who has been in charge of these communities so I picked a few cities (see below.)

If you watch ON THE RECORD at 7pm, you know I often bring up the fact that LBJ declared "WAR ON POVERTY" in 1965 and the fact that we have not won this war and what a disgrace that so many of our fellow Americans live in poverty. My first 12 years of my career as a lawyer, I worked with very poor people in an urban community - Washington, DC - and I remain distressed that we have not won the WAR ON POVERTY.

I decided to "fact check" Trump and see if he is right that the Democrats have been running these urban areas where poverty is destroying people. Check out my results (and I went back in time to 1965, when LBJ declared WAR ON POVERTY.)

Is it fair to blame those in office? Did they and do they have responsibility for their communities?

See below...and then tell me what YOU think.

PS. I am NOT telling you how to vote or who to vote for - but I am telling you NOT to vote for anyone without new ideas and a new strategy to fight poverty. Whatever we are doing now, and since 1965, is not working for many of our fellow Americans.

And I am not suggesting Trump can solve these problems - you need to decide that for yourself.---

MAYORS AND POLITICAL PARTIES SINCE 1965

1. DETROIT, MI
1962 - 1970: Jerome Cavanagh (D)
1970 - 1974: Roman Gribbs (D)
1974 - 1994: Coleman A. Young (D)
1994 - 2001: Dennis Archer (D)
2002 - 2008: Kwame Kilpatrick (D)
2008 - 2009: Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. (D)
2009 - 2013: Dave Bing (D)
2013 - present: Mike Duggan (D)

2. BALTIMORE, MD
1962 - 1963: Philip H. Goodman (D)
1963 - 1967: Theodore R. McKeldin (R)
1967 - 1971: Thomas J. D'Alesandro III (D)
1971 - 1987: William Donald Schaefer (D)
1987: Clarence H. (Du) Burns (D)
1987 - 1999: Kurt L. Schmoke (D)
1999 - 2007: Martin J. O'Malley (D)
2007 - 2010: Sheila Dixon (D)
2010 - present: Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake (D)

3. MILWAUKEE, WI
1960 - 1988: Henry W. Maier (D)
1988 - 2004: John Norquist (D)
Jan. 2004 - April 2004 (interim): Marvin Pratt (D)
2004 - present: Tom Barrett (D)

4. ST. LOUIS, MO
2001 - present: Francis G. Slay (D)
1965 - 1973: Alfonso Cervantes (D)
1973 - 1977: John H. Poelker (D)
1977 - 1981: James F. Conway (D)
1981 - 1993: Vincent C. Schoemehl (D)
1993 - 1997: Freeman Bosley, Jr. (D)
1997 - 2001: Clarence Harmon (D)
2001 - present: Francis G. Slay (D)

5. NEW YORK, NY
1966 - 1973: John Vliet Lindsay (R)
1974 - 1977: Abraham David Beame (D)
1978 - 1989: Edward Koch (D)
1990 - 1993: David Norman Dinkins (D)
1994 - 2001: Rudolph Giuliani (R)
2001 - 2013: Mike Bloomberg (R when elected, later Independent)
2013 - present: Bill De Blasio (D)

6. CHICAGO, IL
1959 - 1976: Richard J. Daley (D)
1977 - 1979: Michael A. Bilandic (D)
1979 - 1983: Jane M. Byrne (D)
1983 - 1987: Harold Washington (D - died in office)
1987 - 1987 (interim): David Orr (D)
1987 - 1989: Eugene Sawyer (D)
1989 - 2011: Richard M. Daley (D)
2011 - present: Rahm Emanuel (D)

7. GARY, IN
1964 - 1968: A. Martin Katz (D)
1968 - 1987: Richard Hatcher (D)
1988 - 1995: Thomas V. Barnes (D)
1995 - 2006: Scott L. King (D when elected; changed to Independent in 2005)
2006 - 2012: Rudolph M. Clay (D)
2011 - present: Karen Freeman-Wilson (D)