Gov. JB Pritzker Blames Trump After Charlie Kirk Assassinated: ‘President’s Rhetoric Often Foments’ Violence

In the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Illinois Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker wasted no time turning tragedy into politics. Speaking at Chicago’s McCormick Place expo center, Pritzker briefly acknowledged sympathy for Kirk’s family before pivoting to blame conservatives and Donald Trump for “fomenting” political violence.

“Charlie Kirk has become a target for somebody. I don’t know whether it’s political violence, because I don’t know who did it,” Pritzker said, before adding, “But I will say that political violence, unfortunately, has been ratcheting up in this country.” He continued by accusing the former president: “I think there are people who are fomenting it in this country. I think the president’s rhetoric often foments it.”

Pritzker went further, invoking January 6 as supposed “political violence,” despite the fact that the only lives lost that day were Trump supporters. “We’ve seen January 6 rioters who clearly have tripped a new era of political violence,” he said. “And the president, what did he do? He pardoned them. I mean, what kind of signal does that send to people who want to perpetrate political violence? Uh, not a good one.”

This attempt to score political points rings hollow when measured against the governor’s own track record. Just last month, Pritzker threatened federal officials and even his own National Guard after President Trump suggested deploying forces to Chicago to curb rampant shootings. “To any federal official who would come to Chicago and try to incite my people into violence as a pretext for something darker and more dangerous, we are watching, and we are taking names,” he warned. That kind of rhetoric isn’t de-escalation—it’s provocation.

Chicago, under Pritzker’s watch, is drowning in violence. So far this year, 1,152 people have been shot and 208 murdered. Last year, 2,444 were shot and 610 killed. The trend has remained tragically consistent for a decade. Yet, instead of focusing on crime consuming his own state, Pritzker lectures the nation on “political violence.”

Charlie Kirk himself sounded the alarm on this culture months ago. “Assassination culture is spreading on the left. Forty-eight percent of liberals say it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk. Fifty-five percent said the same about Donald Trump,” Kirk warned in April.

For Pritzker to point fingers while ignoring his own city’s blood-soaked streets is more than hypocrisy—it’s dangerous distraction. At a moment when Americans should be demanding unity and accountability, one of the nation’s most left-wing governors chose to double down on blame-shifting. Meanwhile, families in Chicago continue to bury loved ones as lawlessness rages unchecked.