Pritzker Urges ‘Mass Protests’ In Call To Action

ILLINOIS — Following last week's announcements that longtime Illinois politicians U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) are not running for reelection, all eyes turn to the future plans of Gov. JB Pritzker, who has reportedly been flirting with a presidential run in 2028.

Pritzker, one of President Donald Trump's staunchest critics, might soon declare his intention to be his successor in Washington, D.C., according to multiple reports. On Sunday night, Pritzker spoke to fellow Democrats in New Hampshire, the first presidential primary state in the 2028 election.

"Remember, Trump, just last week, arrested and deported three children under eight years old. U.S. citizens, all of them," Pritzker said during a speech at the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, a major fundraiser for the state Democratic Party, reports Politco. "Preserving habeas corpus is not some fever dream of the left wing echo chamber. It's a fundamental concept of justice that people have fought and died for dating back to the Middle Ages."

Pritzker, whose second term as governor is set to end in 2027, has not made an announcement regarding his political future. In recent days, he did say he's supporting Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton's run to replace Durbin, who will not run for re-election after over 40 years in Washington.

"His legacy is defined not just by the legislation he passed, but by the undeniable positive impact his character and moral leadership has had on the nation," Pritzker said in a statement last week.

RELATED: Sen. Dick Durbin Will Not Run For Re-Election

On Sunday night, Pritzker, who was the event's keynote speaker, criticized his party for not standing up to Trump, according to Politico.

"Those same do-nothing Democrats want to blame our losses on our defense of Black people and trans kids and immigrants — instead of their own lack of guts and gumption," Pritzker said.

He called for action from his party.

"Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now," Pritzker said. "These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They must understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soap box … and then punish them at the ballot box."

During February's State of the State address, Pritzker spoke of kings and Nazis in relation to the country's current political climate.

"If we don't want to repeat history then for God's sake, in this moment, we'd better be strong enough to learn from it," Pritzker said on Feb. 23, to a standing ovation. "… My oath is to the Constitution of our state and of our country. We don't have kings in America and I don’t intend to bend the knee to one."

The Illinois Republican Party responded with a statement in which it framed Pritzker's comments as "antisemitic attacks," noting Trump’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas.

RELATED: Pritzker Refuses To 'Bend The Knee' As Trump Says 'Long Live The King'