Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Illinois, (right) urged Democrats to fight and defend America's constitutional republic from the "incompetence" and "treachery" of President Donald Trump. (AP/Getty)
"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.
President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. speaks during a news conference. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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.
DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR'S TRIP TO THIS KEY STATE SPARKING 2028 SPECULATION
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!"
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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.
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pritzker-warns-trumps-authoritarian-rule-during-better-way-forward-speech