Politics

Gov. JB Pritzker Blasts Trump, Saying He ‘Fans the Flames of Division’ Amid Ice Raids, Charlie Kirk’s Killing

Gov. JB Pritzker blasted President Donald Trump Monday for “fanning the flames of division” in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and a close ally.

Kirk’s assassination had increased the fear and anxiety rippling across Chicago, where federal immigration agents have fanned out across the Chicago area to target undocumented immigrants in what federal officials have said is an effort to reduce crime and apprehend violent criminals, Pritzker said.

“People are frightened about the potential of military troops coming to our neighborhoods, people are fearful of masked men in unmarked vans who could grab them on a street corner because of how they look or how they sound,” Pritzker said after meeting with students attending the City Colleges of Chicago. “People are scared to go to work, they are scared to take their kids to school, they are scared to go to school themselves or go shopping.”

After listing a number of recent incidents of political violence against both Republicans and Democrats, Pritzker called for leaders of all political parties to work to end political violence by strengthening America’s democracy.

“This should come from the top, yet with each new crisis in recent years, we are reminded that we cannot rely on President Trump to tamp down the anger and the passion in the aftermath of political violence,” Pritzker said. “Instead, he actively fans the flames of division.”

In a video recorded from the Oval Office just hours after Kirk’s murder, Trump said that rhetoric from “the radical left” is “directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.”

The president has promised a broad crackdown on critics and left-leaning organizations.

“Real leaders offer words of solace and calm,” Pritzker said, calling on Americans to “be loud for peace and compassion.”

Pritzker, who is running for a third term as Illinois governor and has not ruled out a run for president in 2028, has opposed Trump at every opportunity and accused his fellow Democrats of not doing enough to block the president’s efforts.

In February, Pritzker, whose grandfather survived the Holocaust, warned that America was sliding toward authoritarianism and fascism, adding that he does not “invoke the specter of Nazis lightly.”

“Here’s what I’ve learned — the root that tears apart your house’s foundation begins as a seed — a seed of distrust and hate and blame,” Pritzker said. “The seed that grew into a dictatorship in Europe a lifetime ago didn’t arrive overnight. It started with everyday Germans mad about inflation and looking for someone to blame.”

Pritzker defended those remarks Monday, rejecting a reporter’s suggestion that he had helped raise the specter of political violence by invoking Nazi Germany.

Pritzker said he was “pleased” Trump had so far failed to make good on his repeated threats to send National Guard troops or armed military personnel to Chicago, but said he expected Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ramp up their raids across Chicago.

“We never really know what he intends to do,” Pritzker said.

Speaking in the Oval Office Monday afternoon, hours after Pritzker’s remarks, Trump told reporters he was once again planning to send the National Guard to Chicago, “probably next” despite the governor’s vehement objections.

“Chicago is a great city,” Trump said. “We’re going to make it great again very soon.”

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]

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