CHICAGO (CBS) – In his speech on Tuesday evening during the Democratic National ConventionIllinois Governor JB Pritzker cast the 2024 general election as a stark contrast between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Pritzker began the speech by highlighting Illinois’ rich history, the launching pad for several future presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Barack Obama, who was also scheduled to speak Tuesday night. He even mentioned parts of Harris’ early life in Illinois.
“Illinois’ presidential standing is unmatched, and since Vice President Kamala Harris spent part of her childhood here, I speak on behalf of the entire Illinois delegation when I say we claim her, too,” Pritzker said.
But then the governor turned around and spent much of his speech calling Trump a “con man.” Pritzker even referenced his own vast fortune, estimated at around $3.5 billion, in his criticism of Trump’s economic policies.
“Donald Trump thinks we should trust him on economics because he claims to be very rich. But if you look at a real billionaire, Trump is rich in one thing: stupidity,” Pritzker said, prompting a response from many.
The governor even took the opportunity to defend the city of Chicago, which Trump criticized numerous times during his presidency. Pritzker is a frequent and vocal critic of Trump during his governorship, often calling him racist and sexist and pointing out that Trump is a convicted felon.
“Donald Trump once called Chicago an embarrassment. To quote a great Chicagoan who won six world championships on these grounds, we take that ‘personally,'” he said, referring to basketball legend Michael Jordan.
The speech also comes not long after Pritzker’s name was floated as a possible alternative to President Biden at the top of the ticket amid calls for the 81-year-old to withdraw from the race. After Biden withdrew and endorsed Harris as the party’s nominee, Pritzker’s name was once again floated as a top candidate to become her vice presidential candidate.
Although he was ultimately not chosen to appear on the ballot, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot viewed Tuesday night’s speech as Pritzker’s chance to demonstrate his relevance as a possible national political figure in the future.
“He was clearly running for vice president,” Lightfoot told CBS News Chicago. “His calculus has changed now, as the party moves in a different direction this year. He has to stay relevant. You see him, and he has been, a surrogate for the Biden-Harris ticket for the past year. He’s doing every major national program. He’s going into state parties and talking to them, so this is about his political future.”
Pritzker also made sure to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s economic policies as supportive of working and middle-class families. He also addressed criticism from conservative critics of Democratic policies that emphasize racial equity and other progressive social positions.
“Let’s be clear: it’s not woke that’s limiting economic growth, it’s weird, and these people are not just weird, they’re dangerous,” he said.
The governor argued that the country needs a president who can provide “calm,” something he said Trump cannot provide.
“We have a choice America between the man who left our country in total ruin and the woman who spent four years cleaning it up,” Pritzker said. “And I think it’s time we stop expecting women to clean up messes without the authority and the title that goes with the job.”
