In Tweets, Pritzker Proposes Trump Train Trip Through Illinois

CHICAGO — After President Donald Trump issued a series of tweets Monday morning denouncing states led by Democrats — declaring Illinois has "no place to go," New York has "gone to hell" and California is "going to hell" — Gov. J.B. Pritzker was the lone chief executive to respond.

In a thread of needling billionaire-to-billionaire tweets, Pritzker provided the president a possible itinerary for a tour through the Land of Lincoln.

"While I'm surprised to see someone who slapped his name on a Chicago skyscraper say 'Illinois has no place to go,' I want to offer @realDonaldTrump five exciting places to go in the great state of Illinois," Pritzker said.

First stop on Pritzker's recommended 2020 Trump Tour of Illinois: The Wiener's Circle in Chicago.

"They have real hot dogs and real talk — all for the price of one," Pritzker said.

The notorious Lincoln Park hot dog stand has spent the last four years using its marquee to direct insults toward the president — not unlike those it offers its North Side patrons.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, management has begun offering curbside abuse.

First thing's first, enjoy a Chicago classic at the one and only @TheWienerCircle. They have real hot dogs and real talk — all for the price of one. https://t.co/e31ae6tab2
— JB Pritzker (@JBPritzker) October 12, 2020

Next on Pritzker's proposed presidential tour of Illinois is a Trump train trip to Southern Illinois, suggesting he take an Amtrak ride to "Quincy, Alton or Carbondale."

The governor offered no justification for the trip — other than the possibility of an encounter with former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump's Democratic opponent in the upcoming election, who famously commuted to Delaware via Amtrak during his decades in the Senate.

Stop No. 3: Starved Rock State Park. The La Salle County park gets its name from an oral history of an 18th century battle that ended when warriors from the Potawatomi and Fox nations surrounded and besieged hundreds of members of the Illinois Confederation until they ran out of resources.

The state purchased the land in 1911, and during the Great Depression, members of the Civilian Conservation Corps — a federal jobs program — built a lodge and made many improvements to the park.

Things don’t seem to be going your way so you may need to scream into a canyon, Starved Rock State Park has more than 13 miles of trail that are open all year long. https://t.co/EaSIggAqjB pic.twitter.com/OaVGqN6RON
— JB Pritzker (@JBPritzker) October 12, 2020

Stops No. 4 and No. 5: Springfield, Illinois. Pritzker recommended the president visit Abraham Lincoln's home at 413 S. 8th St., tossing in a dig at Trump's perceived lack of credibility. An Associated Press poll in May found fewer than one in four Americans had high levels of trust that Trump was being honest about the coronavirus pandemic.

While mentioning honesty in Springfield, Pritzker did not reference past Illinois governors who have ended up behind bars for issues related to their integrity, nor the three Democratic state senators to face federal fraud or corruption indictments in just over a year, nor the ComEd deferred prosecution agreement that implicates the boss of his state's Democratic Party.

Instead, the governor followed up the jab with a reference to two-term former President Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat whom Trump for years falsely suggested was not born in the United States.

And while you’re in Springfield, you might want to visit the Old State Capitol where @BarackObama announced his historic run for the presidency.
— JB Pritzker (@JBPritzker) October 12, 2020

Pritzker included a seasonal reference before pivoting to the importance of voting in the 2020 general election:

"Fun fact: Illinois is the #1 pumpkin-producing state in the nation. If you’re not already spooked by the polls, pick one up for yourself and carve a jack-o’-lantern. I promise it’s a better time than sending ghoulish tweets," he said. "In all seriousness, to voters across America: [President Donald Trump] has failed us and continues to embarrass our nation with his petulant tweets."

The governor concluded with a recommendation that voters visit the perennial Election Day haunt of Cook County politicians, Manny's Deli at 1141 S. Jefferson St. in Chicago.