Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely believed to be positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run, lashed out at President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”
Pritzker was asked by host George Stephanopoulos, following an appearance by Vance on the same program, about remarks Trump made last week on social media, where he wrote that the governor and Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson “should be in jail for failing to protect ICE officers.”
In comments made to reporters on Wednesday, Pritzker essentially dared Trump to try and arrest him, saying, “Come and get me.” The governor expounded on those remarks with Stephanopoulos.
“Well, you heard a tidal wave of lies from the vice president of the United States. It’s a bit shocking, and you heard over and over again, him just making things up on national television with you,” Pritzker began.
“You know, there is a reason why the judge here in federal court said that the administration lacks credibility and why even the Nobel Prize committee chair said that the administration lacks integrity. This administration, led by a 34-time convicted felon, is threatening to jail people who are their political opponents,” he added without addressing the fact that the Biden administration and Democratic prosecutors tried to jail Trump.
“They are making things up to go after people. We are seeing it day in and day out. And the fact that he has made a threat against me, I am not afraid. I am going to stand up for the people of my state,” he added.
“We’ve got to all stand together because there is truly unconstitutional actions that are coming out of this administration, coming at the states and the people of the United States and all of us, Democrats and Republicans, need to speak out about it,” Pritzker added without specifying which part of the Constitution Trump is violating.
“One thing I point out, you mentioned Governor Stitt [of Oklahoma], who said specifically, we shouldn’t be federalizing troops in one state and sending them into another, that he would be offended if I had troops going into his state. I am offended that [Texas Gov.] Greg Abbott has troops coming into my state. And even Governor [Phil] Scott in Vermont has called this unconstitutional. So good news. Republicans are now calling out the Trump Administration. More should do so,” Pritzker said.
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Stephanopoulos then said, “President Trump called for the prosecution of James Comey. It happened. He called for the prosecution of Letitia James. And it happened. He said you committed a crime. Are you worried the Justice Department is going to come after you?”
“It’s true that the president says things and sometimes he follows through on those threats and he certainly has the power of the presidency. He does not have the power to overcome the Constitution,” Pritzker responded.
“And so am I afraid? I am not afraid. Do I think he could do it? He might. But as I said before, come and get me. You are dead wrong, Mr. President. And Mr. Vice President. And I will stand up for the law,” he said.
Trump’s initial comments came after reports a week ago that Chicago police officers responding to assist federal agents who were surrounded by a crowd of protesters near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility were allegedly instructed to stand down, according to dispatch audio recordings and internal messages reviewed by reporters.
The agents were patrolling about 15 miles from ongoing anti-ICE demonstrations outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview, a Chicago suburb, when the attack began.
According to federal officials, after agents attempted to escape their vehicle, a woman armed with a semi-automatic weapon allegedly tried to drive into them. She was shot by officers and later taken into custody.