Even hardened Chicago gang members are reaching out to the new Trump administration – after President Donald Trump threatened to 'send in the feds' if the city's murder rate doesn't come down.

Cleveland Megachurch founder Darrell Scott brought up the surprising overture during a televised White House meeting with Trump during a Black History Month Wednesday.

Scott, pastor at New Spirit Revival Center, announced that, 'I was recently contacted by some of the top gang thugs in Chicago for a sit-down.'

'They reached out to me because they associated me with you. They respect you, they believe in what you're doing, and they want to have a sit-down about lowering that body count. So in a couple of weeks, I'm going into Chicago,' Scott told Trump and a group of African-American supporters while the cameras rolled.

Pastor Darrell Scott speaks on the third day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. He told President Trump at the White House Wednesday that he had been approached by Chicago gang members who want a sit-down meeting about 'lowering the body count'

Trump interjected: 'That's a great idea because Chicago is totally out of control.'

Scott said he told the gang member, 'We've got to lower that body count. We don't want to talk about anything else – get that body count down. And they agreed. But the principle is they can do it.'

'These are guys straight from the streets – no politicians – straight street guys. But they're going to commit that if they lower that body count, we'll come in and we'll do some social programs. So they're in agreement.'

Scott, who hosted Trump and a group of pastors at his church during the fall campaign, didn't specify what social programs the federal government would provide.

Pastor Darrell Scott speaks to media inside the lobby of Trump Tower in December

Donald Trump (R) listens to pastor Darrell Scott duing the Midwest Vision and Values Pastors and Leadership Conference at the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio in September

'But they want to work with this administration,' he assured the president.

'Good,' Trump responded.

Trump, who in a Tweet threatened to send in the feds if Chicago's murder rate doesn't come down, repeated his demand for change, and didn't seem to blanche at the gangland contacts.

'If they're not going to solve the problem -- and what you're doing is the right thing -- then we're going to solve the problem for them because we're going to have to do something about Chicago,' Trump said. 'Because what's happening in Chicago should not be happening in this country.'

'They reached out – I didn't reach out to them. They reached out to me,' Scott explained.

'They want to work with this administration. They believe in this administration. They didn't believe in the prior administration,' he said, in a ding a Chicago-native Barack Obama. 'They told me this out of their mouth. But they see hope with you.'

'I love it,' Trump cheered.

There were 760 murders in Chicago last year, a high point for the last 19 years, with another 51 murders last month, according to CBS.

Trump tweeted in late January, 'If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible 'carnage' going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!'

It wasn't clear whether Trump meant to dispatch law enforcement or other federal resources.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who met with Trump at Trump Tower during the transition, has said he has appealed for additional federal resources.

'He's an investor in Chicago, so obviously he believes in it,' Emanuel said.

'Send more FBI, DEA, ATF agents. We don't have to talk about it anymore. Just send them,' he said Wednesday in Chicago. 'Invest in law enforcement with our Police Department. Every major city has to do more. Move more FBI, DEA, ATF. They do a great job. Use the ability to prosecute gun crimes at the federal level, and maximize that potential.'