Dem governor slams Trump's 'authoritarian rule' during 'better way forward' speech
Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., during "A Better Way Forward" conversation at the Center for American Progress, urged Democrats to fight and defend America's constitutional republic from the "incompetence" and "treachery" of President Donald Trump.
Pritzker, widely considered a 2028 presidential contender, has emerged as a leader in the Democrats' opposition to Trump during his second term. The Democratic governor, who compared our current political climate to Nazi Germany during his State of the State address in February, once again warned of Trump's "authoritarian rule" on Tuesday.
"Americans are experiencing the cruelty that comes with authoritarian rule. Donald Trump has handed over the reins of power to Elon Musk and his fellow DOGE-bags, so that they can find trillions of dollars that they need to give themselves a massive tax break. Think about that. What Musk and Trump are doing isn't about efficiencies or about cost savings. It is about cruelty. They're intentionally breaking the system and giving themselves the authority to rebuild it in their own interest."
While the event was called "A Better Way Forward," Pritzker focused much of his remarks on the threat of Trump and Elon Musk, telling the crowd the "only way out is through." He began by thanking the Center for American Progress for their leadership during "these first two months of President Musk's administration."
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"The meme lords and the minions in the White House conceive of themselves as kings and nobles who have the divine right to order the world in a way that best suits them and their fellow kleptocrats. People's lives are a game to them. I really think that's how they think," Pritzker said.
Pritzker, however, acknowledged that Democrats need "to be honest with ourselves" and accept that a majority of Americans elected Trump to deliver his agenda. As Democrats have struggled to find their footing and agree on a messaging strategy in the aftermath of the 2024 election, Pritzker delivered a clear message to his Democratic colleagues on Tuesday.
"If we want to regain the trust of the voters that we stand for, Democrats have to deliver. For sure, we have to call out the B.S. that Republicans have been selling. But meanwhile, Democrats have to make people's lives better," Pritzker said.
Pritzker touted his accomplishments as governor of Illinois, including expanded access to child care, a universal preschool program, expanding financial aid, corporate expansion, enshrining abortion rights and ending book bans. As the world's 18th largest economy, Pritzker even joked that maybe Illinois should become its own independent country.
Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) investigations have reported billions in federal savings while cutting government programs and laying off thousands of workers. While Republicans across the United States have embraced DOGE's efforts and worked to incorporate its strategies into their own departments and governments, Democrats have protested DOGE since Trump's first week in office. Prtizker called it the "scam of their lives."
"There's no grand master strategy to improve the lives of everyday Americans. This is true villainous cruelty by a few idiots who are trying to figure out how to pull off the scam of their lives. They're armed with the power of the presidency and their sights are aimed on working people, many of whom voted for them, never imagining what this would turn out to be. Here we are. Things are bad, and they're getting worse."
The blue state governor lamented over the dysfunction of Congressional Democrats and Republicans who are worried about getting primaried. Pritzker said he supported Senate Democrats' rejecting the Republicans' bill to fund the government last week, adding that he's "disappointed" Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sided with the Republicans and voted to avert a government shutdown.
Acknowledging his inability to change or enact federal laws, Pritzker said he's relied on legal authority to reject Trump's agenda, with the support of Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Pritzker signed a letter last month that called for the White House to release $1.88 billion in approved federal funding that he said the Trump administration is withholding from his state. Pritzker also vowed to reject Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship in the initial days of his second term.
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Pritzker’s comments on Tuesday are the latest in a long-standing feud between the two. Trump often evoked Pritzker's name on the campaign trail as an example of the downfall of Democrat-run states.
"Sloppy J.B. Pritzker… has presided over the destruction and disintegration of Illinois at levels never seen before in any State," Trump wrote on Truth Social last year. "Crime is rampant and people are, sadly, fleeing Illinois. Unless a change is made at the Governor’s level, Illinois can never be Great Again!"
Pritzker will headline the New Hampshire Democratic Party's annual fundraising gala, sparking 2028 speculation. Trips to New Hampshire, which, for over a century, has held the first primary in the race for the White House, are seen as an early indicator of a politician's interest in running for the presidency in the next election.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment about Pritzker's remarks on Tuesday.