Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) defended Chicago public schools after President Trump said the “numbers” in the city’s schools are “very rough.”

Speaking Wednesday at an event on his proposal to require high school students to show they have a post-graduation plan before receiving their diplomas, Emanuel blasted Trump’s comments from the previous day, according to multiple local reports.

In a meeting with business executives at the White House on Tuesday, Trump criticized schools in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago in response to a question about the high school graduation rate in New York and training for the next generation of workers, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

ADVERTISEMENT

“If you look at so many elements of education, and it’s so sad to see what’s coming — what’s happening in the country," Trump said. “Even the numbers, as good — you say we’re doing better, but the numbers in New York, the numbers in Chicago are very rough. The numbers in Los Angeles — the cities — it’s a very rough situation.”

Emanuel, whose office issued a statement condemning Trump’s remarks, publicly criticized them again on Wednesday.

He touted the accomplishments of Chicago students and said, "It’s hard, but I would not call it 'rough.' "

“Now the president of the United States is allowed to have fake news,” Emanuel said.

"But, the facts are the facts about the city of Chicago,” he added, slamming his lectern.

"It would be helpful if we didn’t run down our kids, we didn’t run down our schools, we didn’t run down our teachers and our principals, but held them up, because they are leading the country in ACT gains, graduation gains, math gains and reading gains,” he continued. "I am immensely proud that, against great odds, these kids are accomplishing great things.”

The mayor said he had pulled studies from the University of Chicago about the city’s high school graduation rate and college attendance levels that he would be sending to the president and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.