Governor’s Speech Stirs A Lot of Debate
As the 2028 Democratic presidential race begins to take shape, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is making a desperate bid to climb out of obscurity—and he’s doing it by veering sharply to the far-left edge. Speaking at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner on Sunday, Pritzker delivered a fiery, unsettling call to action: mass protests, mobilization, and disruption targeting Republicans.
“Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption, but I have now,” Pritzker thundered, urging Democrats to make sure Republicans "cannot know a moment of peace." His speech wasn’t simply fiery—it was a blueprint for escalation, casting political opposition as cruelty to be fought with megaphones, microphones, and ballot box retribution.
Pritzker’s move comes as he lags well behind other prospective 2028 Democratic contenders. Polling averages show Kamala Harris leading at 27.1%, with Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cory Booker, and Gavin Newsom all ahead of him. Pritzker trails far behind at just 3.2%, a fact that likely explains his sudden embrace of radical rhetoric to grab headlines and left-wing street credibility.
Pritzker calls for mass protests and disruption - “Republicans cannot know a moment of peace,” he says, swaying their portraits will one day be put in museums “reserved for tyrants and traitors” pic.twitter.com/BBBuL1Uz9O
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) April 28, 2025
But this is not Pritzker’s first foray into incendiary territory. In his 2024 State of the State Address, Pritzker compared the Trump administration’s policies to the early days of Nazi Germany, warning of a "seed of distrust and hate" that he claimed could tear apart America just as it had Europe a lifetime ago. Even Chicago’s WTTW, an NPR affiliate, acknowledged the comparison, noting that Pritzker likened Trump’s governance to the rise of fascism.
Beyond speeches, the Pritzker family itself has been at the center of major cultural battles. An exhaustive 2022 report from Tablet magazine revealed the family’s massive financial backing of radical gender ideology in education, medicine, and culture.
Through philanthropic arms, the Pritzkers have poured millions into reshaping American institutions to embrace a view that human biological sex exists on a “spectrum”—an agenda that’s sparked backlash from parents and medical professionals alike.
And let’s not forget Pritzker’s pandemic-era strong-arming. In 2020, as Illinoisans chafed under endless COVID lockdowns, Pritzker wielded executive power like a bludgeon. He threatened business owners who reopened their restaurants, gyms, and shops with Class A misdemeanors, fines up to $2,500, and even up to a year in jail. It was a grim preview of how Pritzker views dissent: not as part of democracy, but as a crime to be punished.
Now, as he launches what looks like the early stages of a 2028 presidential campaign, Pritzker is signaling that he’ll bring the same heavy-handed approach to the national stage—only this time, cloaked in the language of “resistance” and “mobilization.”