Pritzker Escalates Rhetoric Against GOP: “Fight Everywhere and All at Once”
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has ignited controversy after fiery remarks in New Hampshire this weekend, declaring that Republicans “cannot know a moment of peace” under the Trump administration. Addressing a crowd of Democrat activists and donors, Pritzker called for “mass protests” and full-scale mobilization against Republicans nationwide.
“It’s time to fight everywhere and all at once,” Pritzker proclaimed, prompting loud applause. “Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now.”
The Governor continued his combative message, insisting, “These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They need to understand that we will fight their cruelty with every microphone and megaphone that we have. We must castigate them at the soap box, then punish them at the ballot box.”
Echoes of Maxine Waters’ 2018 Call to Harass Trump Officials
Pritzker’s comments are drawing comparisons to previous inflammatory rhetoric from Democrat leaders, particularly Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), who famously urged harassment of Trump administration officials in 2018. Speaking to supporters at the time, Waters said, “If you see anybody from [Trump’s] Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere!”
Waters’ remarks were widely condemned by Republicans and some Democrats for inciting public confrontations, but Pritzker’s new remarks suggest a return to that aggressive playbook as political tensions escalate ahead of the 2026 elections.
A Deepening Divide
Critics warn that this type of rhetoric dangerously escalates political polarization and risks encouraging acts of intimidation or violence against political opponents. Supporters, however, argue that heightened activism is necessary to counter what they describe as Republican “cruelty” and threats to democracy.
As the nation braces for another heated election season, Pritzker’s comments underscore how deeply entrenched the partisan divide has become — and how both parties may be preparing for a battle that extends far beyond the ballot box.