Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been making waves on the national stage with comments that leave the door open for a potential 2028 presidential run, and pointed criticism aimed at both Texas Governor Greg Abbott and former President Donald Trump over redistricting efforts. On the Sunday airing of "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker," Pritzker took a hard stance when questioned on possibly running for president, stating, "I can't rule anything out, but what I can rule in is that no matter what decisions I make, and I mean in particular about what I do here in the state of Illinois, is about the people of Illinois."
The Democratic governor faced inquiries about Illinois’ congressional maps, which favor Democrats in 14 out of 17 districts, despite Trump garnering 44% support in the recent election. Pritzker defended the maps' legitimacy, explaining that they adhered to a lawful process: "We held public hearings, legislative hearings. People attended them, they spoke out. There was a map that was put out. There were actually changes made to the map. And a map was passed, and it was done at the end of the census, the decennial census. So that’s how it’s done in this country."
In a related attack on Republican efforts in Texas, Pritzker labeled Trump a "cheater" for trying to manipulate voting maps to his advantage. "This is — it's cheating. Donald Trump is a cheater. He cheats on his wives, he cheats at golf, and now he's trying to cheat the American people out of their votes," Pritzker told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
On the other side, Abbott, who has faced off against Democrat lawmakers in the past, proposed redistricting plans that would potentially fortify up to five additional Republican seats. Trump vouched for Texas Republicans' remapping efforts, saying, "We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas," during an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box. "And I won Texas."
Moving beyond state and partisan lines, Pritzker also addressed international matters, responding to concerns over a Senate resolution to block arms sales to Israel amid tensions in Gaza, "I think that the resolution that was put up in the United States Senate was an effort to send a message. And it’s the right kind of a message, which is that Israel needs to make sure that the food assistance that ought to go to innocent Palestinians should arrive there," Pritzker noted, emphasizing the humanitarian aspect of the conflict.
Meanwhile, former Attorney General Eric Holder, currently the head of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, entered the fray, proposing that California might adopt aggressive gerrymandering as a temporary countermeasure to Texas' moves. "What Democrats are doing is is responsive and is temporary," Holder told "Meet the Press." While Pritzker dismissed any federal action against Texas Democrats visiting Illinois, calling it "grandstanding," it's clear that the battle lines over redistricting and voter rights continue to be drawn, with Illinois' governor increasingly at the forefront.
