The governor did not explicitly call Republicans "Nazis," but compared the newly minted Trump administration to the rise of Nazi Germany. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)
Conservatives on social media unleashed on Pritzker for claiming he has "never called Republicans ‘Nazis,’" pointing to his February State of the State address.
Pritzker did not explicitly call Republicans "Nazis," but compared the newly minted Trump administration to the rise of Nazi Germany.
"The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems. If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic," Pritzker said in February.
"Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance," Pritzker added. "Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the ‘tragic spirit of despair’ overcome us when our country needs us the most."
Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025, during a Turning Point USA event. (Alex Brandon, File/The Associated Press)
Illinois Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg filed an impeachment resolution against the governor Monday while invoking the assassination of Kirk.
"Pritzker’s remarks are providing legitimacy to radicals who are committing these heinous crimes against people like Charlie Kirk," Niemerg said in a statement, Capitol News Illinois reported. "If it were one isolated incident — it would be one thing but there is a pattern here."
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is the only governor in the state's history to be impeached and removed from office in 2009, following federal corruption charges. Impeachment efforts in the state require involvement from both the General Assembly and state Senate to move forward — making the Pritzker efforts unlikely as both chambers are controlled by Democrats in the deep blue state.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at the office of The Center for American Progress event March 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Pritzker continued in his Monday press conference remarks that Trump has encouraged American division, while calling for political rhetoric across the board to be toned down.
"This should come from the top, but with each crisis in the last few years, we can’t rely on President Trump to tamp down the anger and the passion in the aftermath of political violence," he said Monday. "Instead, he actively fans the flames of division as he did on Friday, regularly advocates violence for political retribution, and in more than one case, declares that we are at war, not with a foreign adversary, but with each other. I don’t believe any of that."
Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated while attending an event at Utah Valley University Wednesday. A single shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck while he sat under a tent on campus and spoke with students.
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Kirk was a conservative movement powerhouse, championing faith and family policies to young adults, most notably on college campuses.
He leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two children, ages one and three. Kirk's funeral is planned for Sunday in Arizona, with Trump and other administration leaders expected to attend.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pritzker-swiftly-fact-checked-after-claiming-he-never-derided-gop-dictatorship-comparison-pathological