BOSTON — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is under attack on social media for her response to the deadly officer-involved shooting in the heart of the city Saturday.
“It seems like Mayor Wu has a big target on her back,” said Tom Whalen, a political historian at Boston University, regarding the controversy surrounding Wu’s comments.
Police say an off-duty officer shot and killed a man who was trying to attack people with a knife inside a Chick-fil-A on Boylston Street.
Many took to X, calling out Mayor Wu for giving condolences to the attacker’s family after he was killed by police.
“My condolences and all of our thoughts are with the family of the individual whose life has been lost,” said Mayor Wu at a press conference Saturday following the shooting. “And I’m also thinking about all the people who’ve been impacted here today in one of the busier parts of the city.”
Whalen says Mayor Wu is in the hot seat as she prepares to testify in front of Congress this week in D.C.
“I don’t think this is normal at all and it’s as if they were all teed up just waiting for this kind of moment to take advantage of it politically,” said Whalen about Wu’s comments going viral.
The House Oversight Committee released a preview video last week, slamming the mayors who will face the committee to defend their sanctuary city policies this week. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is featured in that video.
Whalen says the backlash Mayor Wu is receiving this weekend is only a preview of the heat she’ll face D.C. this week.
“It’s going to be a bruising affair and Mayor Wu is going to be at the top of her game politically, or have to be, in order to withstand those kinds of attacks, but it will have an impact, I think perhaps on the Boston mayoral campaign against Mr. Kraft,” said Whalen.
Mayor Wu is running for re-election this year, and she’ll be testifying before Congress on Wednesday.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
