A Not-So-Special Report with Governor Pritzker

Written by David E. Smith

Excuses, Deflection, and Denial

Illinois billionaire Governor JB Pritzker appeared on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier on Thursday, where he blasted the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Chicago while downplaying the city’s spiraling crime problem. The two-term Democratic governor also dodged questions about his presidential ambitions, took shots at Trump’s tariff policies, and doubled down on his paranoid claim that U.S. troops could be used to “steal” the next election.

During the interview, Baier pressed Pritzker on Chicago’s grim distinction as the U.S. city with the highest number of murders in 2024—610 in total. So far this year, the city has already recorded 371 homicides. Baier referenced a crime map showing Chicago with a murder rate of 17.47 per 100,000 residents, more than any major U.S. city. Pritzker remarkably insisted, “We’re not in the top 30,” while claiming that Chicago’s murder rate has been cut in half over the past four years, with double-digit declines each year.

However, data from the Illinois research nonprofit Wirepoints tells a different story. Chicago led all major U.S. cities in total murders in 2024, recording 573 homicides—far more than New York City (377) or Houston (322). Sadly, Chicago continues to hold the tragic title of America’s murder capital.

Pritzker emphasized that Illinois is investing heavily in “community violence interruption” programs and other so-called “policing initiatives” to reduce crime. Yet the decline in Chicago’s murder rate simply follows a nationwide trend seen in recent years after the COVID-19 lockdowns, not any specific action taken by government officials. In fact, there’s no clear evidence that the millions in taxpayer dollars poured into these violence-prevention efforts have produced meaningful results.

Pritzker also took aim at federal immigration enforcement – whom he recently called “jack booted thugs” – accusing federal agents of racially profiling black and brown residents instead of targeting violent offenders. He claimed that 60 percent of those taken into ICE custody in Illinois had no criminal convictions. Defending his comparison of ICE tactics to authoritarian regimes, Pritzker absurdly argued that officers “demanding papers” and detaining individuals resemble the early stages of constitutional erosion.

His indignation is recklessly misplaced. When asked about the case of two illegal immigrants charged with felony murder, one of whom was reportedly arrested in Chicago but released after an ICE detainer was ignored – thanks to a foolish Sanctuary City policy – he dismissed it by saying

“I bet you could find U.S. citizens all across the country who committed a crime who also get out, and then they do something bad.”

Once again, Governor Pritzker shows where his loyalties lie—and it’s not with the law-abiding citizens of Illinois or those who protect them.

Moreover, Pritzker showed no moral outrage over the steady stream of human trafficking, child predators, murderers, and violent gang members now roaming free in our communities because of the Biden administration’s reckless open-border policies. His concern wasn’t for the victims—but for the optics. Instead of condemning the chaos, he complained that Texas had the nerve to send a fraction of its overflow of illegal immigrants to Illinois.

Not once did he thank the brave men and women of ICE who are risking their lives to arrest the worst of the worst. Nor did he express gratitude for the border patrol agents who—despite being vilified, undermined, and even targeted for violence—continue their mission to defend our nation. These are the real heroes standing between order and chaos, yet Democrat politicians—who once swore to uphold the law—now mock, malign, and betray those who enforce it.

When pressed about President Trump’s deployment of federal agents and National Guard troops to Chicago, Pritzker dismissed the move as political theater—going so far as to suggest it was part of a broader plan to “steal” the next election. Taking a jab at Trump, he boasted, “It seems like I live rent-free in Trump’s head,” while urging Chicagoans to film their encounters with federal officers—apparently forgetting that the real threat to law and order comes from the criminals his soft-on-crime policies protect.

Instead of standing with those who risk their lives to protect American families, Governor Pritzker defends the very policies that endanger them and embolden those who obstruct the enforcement of our immigration laws. In doing so, he betrays his oath of office to uphold the law and protect the people of Illinois. Worse, he fuels division with his reckless rhetoric—smearing our president, vilifying federal agents, and peddling absurd conspiracy theories about stolen elections.

That’s not leadership—it’s moral blindness.