Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was the particular visitor of the day on Friday’s (February 28) version of The View — together with visitor cohost Ariana DeBose — and he had some key phrases of warning to share in regards to the present state of affairs within the U.S. authorities.
“It’s been 38 days for the reason that president took over, and he has slowly, steadily — really, comparatively rapidly, I assume I ought to say — however daily eroded your rights, and every part that he has completed has been tearing down constitutional democracy, and that’s what occurred in Nazi Germany. And I’m not suggesting that we’re heading all the best way down that path, however I’m suggesting … it must be a purple alert,” he stated to begin the phase.
He then roasted Republican congressional representatives who’ve been saying privately that they suppose Donald Trump‘s actions are “improper” however are “afraid in their very own primaries”: “I don’t suppose anyone must be in public service in case your major concern is staying over and again and again,” he stated. “You should be keen to place all of it on the road to do what’s proper.”
After being requested to reply to Donald Trump calling Ukranian president Volodomyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” however refusing to say the identical about Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Pritzker agreed that a few of these every day controversies are simply purple herrings.
“A whole lot of this, on his half, is distraction. He’s making an attempt to get, ‘Look over right here. Look over right here. Don’t take a look at what I’m doing down the center right here,’” Pritzker stated. “And what are they doing? They’re tearing down well being care. Actually, 20 million Individuals threat dropping their well being care simply within the subsequent few months. And it’s not prefer it’s simply an thought. They only handed it within the Home of Representatives as a part of the price range, they’re going to remove Medicaid from tens of millions and tens of millions individuals.”
He additionally identified that lots of the individuals who can be most impacted by this portion of the price range, if it additionally passes the Senate and is then signed by Trump, are his personal voters: “Lots of these individuals, certainly, about half of them, reside in purple counties in Republican areas. They’re Republicans who … didn’t know after they voted for Donald Trump that they had been going to lose their well being care due to Donald Trump. Didn’t imagine it,” he stated. “Donald Trump on the marketing campaign path, and even now, says, ‘Oh, I’m not going to remove Medicaid.’ He says, ‘Social Safety, Medicare, Medicaid, I’m not taking these away.’ In the meantime, he blessed the Home plan that simply handed that takes away Medicaid. In order that’s the factor I believe most individuals might not know he’s mendacity again and again.”
Maybe Pritzker’s harshest criticisms, although, had been saved for Elon Musk, whose DOGE has been shedding hundreds of federal staff throughout varied businesses, together with the Federal Aviation Administration, and he’s now making an attempt to re-hire retired FAA staff to assist handle the scarcity.
“Incompetence, let’s begin with that,” he stated in response to questions on Musk’s actions, to thunderous viewers applause. “The explanation I believe that Individuals are starting to react, and also you’ll see extra of it, is that the very issues that individuals depend upon daily, it’s your veteran companies, individuals who want remedy, they go to Veterans Administration for that; ensuring that you just’re flying safely; ensuring in my state we’ve poultry and meat inspectors appears fairly essential to all of us right here.”
After a industrial break, the question-and-answer sequence with Pritzker continued — and the Musk-bashing continued proper together with it.
When discussing the continued rise of egg costs — a signature promise in Trump’s remaining marketing campaign stretch was to decrease them and total inflation — Pritzker stated, “You suppose Elon Musk goes and buys eggs on the grocery retailer? No. He has no thought what’s taking place. Your tomato costs are going up as a result of we’re going to pay 25 p.c tariffs on tomatoes coming from Mexico. That is simply an instance, but it surely’s individuals who’ve been put in cost. They’re probably the most highly effective, the wealthiest individuals have been put in cost…. They didn’t get elected by on a regular basis Individuals to do something. They only bought appointed by Donald Trump as a result of they gave big contributions. Within the case of Elon Musk, $250 million that we all know of… He purchased his method in, and Donald Trump mainly has handed the federal government over to this man.”
“Many Republicans… will let you know that they suppose what [Pres. Trump is] doing is improper,” Illinois @GovPritzker tells ‘The View.’ “However then out in public they’ll… vote with him.”
“They’re afraid.” pic.twitter.com/Yc10SfEqFD
— The View (@TheView) February 28, 2025
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