The Big Lie: Pritzker’s Reckless Rhetoric

Written by David E. Smith

Governor JB Pritzker has repeatedly resorted to irresponsible and inflammatory language to demonize President Donald J. Trump, federal law enforcement officials, and Republicans in general. For months, he has engaged in extreme partisan bomb-throwing — in press conferences, on social media, and even at Democratic Party events outside Illinois.

Terms like “Nazi,” “jackbooted thugs,” “tyrant,” and “fascists” aren’t just political insults — they’re rhetorical grenades lobbed to manipulate the press and distort public perception. When examined critically, this isn’t merely absurd — it’s reckless, divisive, and corrosive.

Ironically, this strategy mirrors the propaganda playbook of the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler described the “big lie” as a deception so massive that ordinary people would assume no one could invent it without some truth behind it. That’s precisely how today’s radical Left operates: through gross distortions of truth, repeated loudly and often enough to make falsehoods sound like moral conviction.

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s chief propagandist, taught that effective propaganda must be simple, repetitive, and emotionally charged — hammering home slogans until they become accepted as truth. Sadly, this technique is alive and well in Illinois politics, where Pritzker and his allies routinely demonize political opponents rather than debate policy differences.

A Courageous Rebuke

Dr. Carrie Mendoza, a Jewish mother of three and GOP candidate for Lt. Governor running with Ted Dabrowski, issued a powerful statement calling out Pritzker’s reckless rhetoric. Her words deserve to be heard in full:

“Gov. Pritzker should really be ashamed of himself for continuing to use this ahistorical, incendiary rhetoric and compounding the shamefulness of it with unfounded conspiracy theories about the 2026 elections. In a polarized political climate where police officers have been the targets of politically-inspired violence that sometimes, as in the case of the shooting at the ICE facility in Dallas, has taken the lives of migrants, a responsible political leader would tone down their rhetoric and appeal to people’s better angels. Gov. Pritzker has chosen to be irresponsible.”

Dr. Mendoza went on to underscore the deep moral and historical offense of Pritzker’s comparisons:

“The Nazi comparison is particularly offensive against the backdrop of our observation this week of the 2nd anniversary of the 10/7 terrorist attack where actual fascists murdered 1,195 Israelis including 38 children, and continue to hold 48 hostages. In the newly released memoir by hostage Eli Sharabi, he recounts his torture and starvation at the hands of Hamas, just as the Jews experienced under the Nazis 80 years ago.”

She also reminded the public that Pritzker has been rebuked before for such rhetoric:

“When Gov. Pritzker made these comparisons back in February in his State of the State Address, he was properly admonished by Holocaust survivor Jerry Wartski who said at the time, ‘What Pritzker says is mentally sick. The fact that he said this, especially as a Jew, is an affront to Holocaust survivors. It hurts.’”

And Mendoza shared the heartfelt reaction of another Jewish Illinois resident:

“Governor Pritzker, I am a child of two Holocaust survivors. I am deeply insulted by your rhetoric. There is a vast difference between rounding up criminal illegal immigrants and Jewish people during the 1930s and 1940s. You deployed the National Guard during Covid. You deployed the National Guard to protect DNC participants. I didn’t hear anyone crying out about it. I know you seek higher political office, but stop accusing political opponents of being Nazis. The only Nazis that exist currently are Hamas. NOT Trump, ICE or the National Guard. Your rhetoric is truly dangerous.”

Mendoza concluded:

“Undeterred, Gov. Pritzker has continued to cheapen the horrors of the Holocaust with these baseless comparisons because he believes it will help him politically. If it does, that is a sick commentary on our politics. Instead, Pritzker’s rhetorical recklessness should be viewed as dangerous, like Nancy from Northbrook said. ‘It should disqualify him from public office.’”

Truth Matters

Dr. Mendoza’s statement powerfully captures what many Illinoisans — and Americans — already know: words matter. The partisan use of Nazi imagery to attack political opponents trivializes one of history’s greatest evils. It dishonors the memory of millions who perished under genuine fascism and insults the intelligence of voters who can see through such manipulative tactics.

True leadership appeals to reason and truth, not hysteria and hate. JB Pritzker’s pattern of using slander as strategy reveals a disturbing contempt for both. Illinois deserves better than a governor who treats political discourse like a propaganda war.

Moral Clarity

At a time when truth is maligned, language is weaponized, and the moral compass of our political culture spins wildly, Christians must lead the way in calling our leaders — and ourselves — back to integrity. Scripture warns us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).

When public officials choose to inflame hatred rather than promote understanding, it’s the duty of citizens — especially believers — to speak truth in love and insist on accountability. Illinois needs leaders who tell the truth, honor history, and promote peace rather than propaganda.

As followers of Christ, we are called to “expose the unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11) and to shine the light of truth into the political arena. It’s time to reject reckless rhetoric and restore moral clarity to public life in Illinois.