Category: fox-news/us/us-regions/midwest/illinois

Pritzker swiftly fact-checked after claiming he never derided GOP with dictatorship comparison: ‘Pathological’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was swiftly fact-checked by conservatives on social media for claiming he "never called Republicans ‘Nazis’" as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle traded barbs on heightened political rhetoric following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

"That is completely false. I have never called Republicans ‘Nazis,’" Pritzker said Monday while fielding questions from the media during a press conference where the Democratic state leader accused President Donald Trump of "actively fanning the flames of division" following Kirk's Wednesday murder. 

Pritzker, who has condemned Kirk's shocking assassination as "horrifying," came under fire earlier in September when he claimed the "president's rhetoric often foments" political violence. 

Now, the Democratic governor is facing impeachment efforts from state Republicans for rhetoric they claim has incited violence, and for his claims linking Nazi Germany to the GOP. 

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Conservatives on social media unleashed on Pritzker for claiming he has "never called Republicans ‘Nazis,’" pointing to his February State of the State address. 

Pritzker did not explicitly call Republicans "Nazis," but compared the newly minted Trump administration to the rise of Nazi Germany. 

"The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems. If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic," Pritzker said in February. 

"Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance," Pritzker added. "Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the ‘tragic spirit of despair’ overcome us when our country needs us the most." 

Republicans and conservatives in the state took to X to compare his previous comments on Republicans and Nazi Germany to his press conference remarks. 

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"Governor Pritzker claims he’s never called Republicans Nazis, but his own words suggest otherwise," the Illinois House Republicans posted to X Monday, accompanied by videos comparing the governor's remarks. 

"Pritzker Today: I've never called Republican's Nazi's Pritzker in February: ‘Pritzker Compares Trump Administration’s Approach to Nazi Germany During State Budget Address,’" the Illinois Republican Party similarly posted to X. 

Critics slammed the governor as "pathological" and a "liar," saying that his public remarks are forever achieved on the internet. 

Others on X pointed to Pritzker's remarks from April during a speech in New Hampshire promoting mass mobilization against Republicans while declaring they "cannot know a moment of peace."

DONALD TRUMP JR. WARNS POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS 'NOT GOING BOTH WAYS' AS HE MOURNS CHARLIE KIRK'S DEATH

"Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption — but I am now," he said, Fox News Digital reported at the time. 

"These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They have to understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soapbox and then punish them at the ballot box. They must feel in their bones … that we will relegate their portraits to the museum halls reserved for tyrants and traitors."

Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker's office Tuesday morning regarding the criticisms from Republicans over the comparison and the recent impeachment efforts in the state but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Pritzker is facing renewed impeachment efforts from state Republicans following the assassination of Kirk. Conservatives nationwide have argued that leftists deriding conservatives as "fascists," "Nazis" and serving as threats to democracy led to the violence that claimed Kirk's life.

Illinois Republican state Rep. Chris Miller filed articles of impeachment against Pritzker earlier in September, claiming the governor "has engaged in conduct which, under the totality of the circumstances, constitutes inciting violence which is incompatible with the duties of his office."

Illinois Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg filed an impeachment resolution against the governor Monday while invoking the assassination of Kirk. 

JB PRITZKER CONDEMNS POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK'S DEATH, SAYS TRUMP'S RHETORIC 'OFTEN FOMENTS IT'

"Pritzker’s remarks are providing legitimacy to radicals who are committing these heinous crimes against people like Charlie Kirk," Niemerg said in a statement, Capitol News Illinois reported. "If it were one isolated incident — it would be one thing but there is a pattern here."

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is the only governor in the state's history to be impeached and removed from office in 2009, following federal corruption charges. Impeachment efforts in the state require involvement from both the General Assembly and state Senate to move forward — making the effort unlikely as both chambers are controlled by Democrats in the deep blue state. 

Pritzker continued in his Monday press conference remarks that Trump has encouraged American division, while calling for political rhetoric across the board to be toned down. 

"This should come from the top, but with each crisis in the last few years, we can’t rely on President Trump to tamp down the anger and the passion in the aftermath of political violence," he said Monday. "Instead, he actively fans the flames of division as he did on Friday, regularly advocates violence for political retribution, and in more than one case, declares that we are at war, not with a foreign adversary, but with each other. I don’t believe any of that."   

Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated while attending an event at Utah Valley University Wednesday. A single shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck while he sat under a tent on campus and spoke with students. 

Kirk was a conservative movement powerhouse, championing faith and family policies to young adults, most notably on college campuses. 

He leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two children, ages one and three. Kirk's funeral is planned for Sunday in Arizona, with Trump and other administration leaders expected to attend. 

Dick Durbin, No. 2 Senate Democrat, won’t seek re-election

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Sen. Dick Durbin, D- Ill., the Senate Democratic whip and the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2026. 

Durbin, 80, who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, made the announcement in a video message on X Wednesday.

"The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy," Durbin said. 

"I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term."

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Durbin was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and served seven terms before succeeding his mentor, Paul Simon, in the Senate in 1996.

His retirement is expected to set off a flurry of activity among a scrum of would-be successors, both Democratic and Republican. 

Durbin represents Illinois, a solidly Democratic state, and Democrats are very confident that they’ll hold the seat in next year’s midterm elections with the GOP only capturing one Illinois Senate seat in the last 40 years. 

But President Donald Trump did make gains in Illinois in last year’s election, losing the state by 11 points, an improvement from his 17-point defeat in the 2020 election. Democrats will face an uphill battle to try to reclaim the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) communications director Johanna Rodriguez said that Democrats like Durbin are leaving office because of losing policies.

"Senate Democrats continue to jump ship as their party’s brand tanks because they prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the Americans who elected them," Rodriguez said.

Among the Democrats considering a 2026 run to succeed Durbin in the Senate are Reps. Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood, as well as Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and state Sen. Robert Peters.

Durbin's career to date was hailed by former President Barack Obama, who he said played a pivotal role in his own career and is "one of the finest" senators in the country.

"Dick Durbin has always fought the good fight on behalf of working families and his integrity shines through in everything he does," Obama wrote. "It’s also true that I would not have been a United States Senator – and certainly would not have been President – had it not been for Dick’s support. He has been a great and loyal friend, and Michelle and I wish him and Loretta all the best in their next chapter."

Durbin led the drive to ban smoking on airplanes as a junior member of Congress, which helped to usher in the smoke-free movement with legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

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He played a key role in helping to pass the First Step Act in 2018. The bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation was signed by President Trump and reduced mandatory minimums for certain nonviolent drug offenses, created early release incentives and improved prison conditions. 

Durbin is a longtime advocate for immigration reform and co-authored the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Although the act did not pass, Durbin's advocacy contributed to the establishment of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides those immigrants with temporary protection from deportation and work authorization.

He also advocates for stricter gun laws and supported the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare. Durbin voted to convict Trump in impeachment trials held by the Senate in 2020 and 2021, although Trump was acquitted in both.

Meanwhile, Durbin's fellow Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth shared Obama's sentiments. 

"Dick Durbin is, and will always be, a giant of the United States Senate. He has dedicated his life to making our state—as well as our nation—stronger, and we are all better for it," Duckworth said. 

Duckworth also recalled meeting Durbin for the first time weeks after she lost both legs when her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004, noting his empathy and mentorship during her recovery.

"When Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds, saw past the wheelchair," Duckworth said. "He saw a soldier in search of her next mission. And he recognized well before I did that just because I would no longer be flying Black Hawks for the Army didn’t mean that I couldn’t find a new way to serve my nation."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Quoting Dr. Seuss, ‘Just go, Go, GO!’ federal judge dismisses Blagojevich political comeback suit

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Rod Blagojevich, the ex-governor and ex-con who often dusted off ancient and sometimes puzzling quotations to emphasize his positions, found himself at the other end Thursday when a federal judge dismissed his lawsuit attempting to return to public life by quoting Dr. Seuss: "Just go."

The Chicago Democrat, impeached and removed from office by the General Assembly in 2009, then sentenced to federal prison for political crimes, filed suit in federal court to reverse a ban accompanying his impeachment that prohibits his return to public office.

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On Thursday, in a colorful, 10-page smackdown dismissing the action from Chicago, U.S. District Court Judge Steven Seeger debunked the former governor's claims issue by issue, then relied on Dr. Seuss' 1972 book, "Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!" to suggest what Blagojevich should do:

"The time has come. The time has come. The time is now. Just Go. Go. GO! I don't care how. You can go by foot. You can go by cow. Marvin K. Mooney, will you please go now!"

Mark Vargas, a Blagojevich spokesperson, said the ruling was no surprise.

"The people should be able to decide who they want or don't want to represent them," Vargas wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "not federal judges or establishment politicians who are afraid of governors who fight for the people."

He did not say whether Blagojevich, 67, would take further action.

As Illinois governor from 2003 to 2009, Blagojevich was fond of quoting Greek philosophers, Roman statesmen and the Bible (particularly John 8:32: "The truth will set you free.")

He was impeached and removed from office in 2009, then convicted of 17 counts of corruption in 2011, including attempting to sell or trade for political gain the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama upon his election as president. He served eight years behind bars of a 14-year sentence before his sentence was commuted by then-President Donald Trump in 2020. The Illinois Supreme Court also revoked his law license.

Blagojevich, who routinely joked while governor that he had received a "C" in constitutional law at Pepperdine University Law School, filed the lawsuit in 2021, representing himself. Accompanied by a gaggle of news reporters, cameras and microphones outside the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago, the always impeccably coifed Blagojevich declared, "I’m back."

The federal civil rights complaint sought to reverse the state Senate's impeachment ban on his holding office again, arguing the ban violates the Constitution's Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments and the First Amendment's protection of the people's fundamental right to vote. "And by that," Seeger explained, "Blagojevich apparently means the fundamental right to vote for him."

"The complaint is riddled with problems," Seeger began. "If the problems were fish in a barrel, the complaint contains an entire school of tuna. It is a target-rich environment. The complaint is an Issue-Spotting Wonderland."

First off, Seeger said that civil rights complaints must be filed against a person, which neither the state of Illinois nor its General Assembly is.

Next, Seeger discussed at length why a federal court cannot intervene in a legislative impeachment proceeding because of the Constitution's separation-of-powers provision. The judge then pointed out that even if the impeachment ban was reversed, Illinois state law still prevents a convicted felon from holding "an office of honor, trust or profit."

The Sixth Amendment, Seeger wrote, applies to criminal trials, not civil trials: impeachment "took away his job, not his liberty," he said.

Further, Blagojevich can't sue to protect the rights of voters. They need to speak for themselves, Seeger said, and "no voter is here hoping to cast a vote for Blagojevich."

Finally, the judge said, Blagojevich might not even have a reason to proceed because when he filed the lawsuit, he said he might want to run again, but hadn't decided. Seeger noted that a legal claim is not "ripe" if it depends on "contingent future events that may not occur."

"The case started with a megaphone, but it ends with a whimper," Seeger concluded. "Sometimes cases in the federal courthouse attract publicity. But the courthouse is no place for a publicity stunt.

"He wants back. But he's already gone. Case dismissed."

Race for Illinois prosecutor seat features former appellate judge, professor with Democratic backing

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

An open seat to lead the nation’s second-largest prosecutor’s office has become one of the most spirited races in the Illinois primary with a Democratic matchup between a tough-on-crime judge and an attorney with union and establishment backing.

The Cook County state’s attorney primary features Eileen O’Neill Burke, a former appellate judge with a large campaign war chest, versus Clayton Harris III, a professor and former prosecutor who’s held government posts.

The race is the latest example of how the legacy of progressive Democrats who swept into big city prosecutor offices over the past decade has fractured. Some, including in Los Angeles, face tough reelection bids with blame on progressive policies for perceptions that cities are less safe. Others have resigned or face possible impeachment.

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In Chicago, Democrats hoping to replace outgoing State’s Attorney Kim Foxx are walking a line, saying they'll uphold some of her progressive policies while also being critical of her tenure.

"We should be booming, and we’re not because of crime," said O’Neill Burke, who's more openly critical of Foxx. "This is something we can fix."

Meanwhile, Harris says punishments must be appropriate and consider racial disparities: "We can focus on our communities being safe without sacrificing justice."

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Neither candidate has high name recognition. But the winner of Tuesday's primary in heavily Democratic Cook County is expected to coast to victory in November.

It’s an open race because Foxx, who easily won her first two elections, declined to run a third time. Her leadership was praised by reformers but also blasted for being soft on crime and the handling of high profile cases like Jussie Smollett.

One campaign issue has been the future of Foxx's controversial policy not to prosecute retail theft as a felony unless the value of the stolen goods is over $1,000. State law sets a $300 felony threshold.

Harris said he’d continue the practice.

"If someone came and took my cellphone, is that cellphone worth a felony on your record? I do not think so," he said. "We look at recidivism. We charge everyone appropriately."

O’Neill Burke said she’d scrap it.

"It doesn’t deter crime, it promotes it," she said of Foxx’s change.

In other cities, progressive policies are also being blamed for crime and homelessness. That’s even as violent crime, including homicides and shootings, has largely fallen in Chicago and nationwide to the same level as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón survived a nonpartisan primary this month but expects a tough November election. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner faces the possibility of an impeachment trial. In San Francisco, Chesa Boudin was recalled by voters, while St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigned.

In the Chicago area, both candidates say Foxx made important strides. The state's attorney's office has more than 700 attorneys and is the largest after Los Angeles.

O’Neill Burke said she’d continue restorative justice efforts for young people and credited Foxx with diversifying the workforce. Harris has held up Foxx’s conviction review unit, which has overturned wrongful convictions, as a national model.

Harris says the prosecutor must improve the relationship with law enforcement.

On the campaign trail, he's talked about his personal life as a Black man raising children on Chicago’s South Side, as well as his professional experience in helping run government and lobbying elected leaders.

"Being a Black man. I’ve been pulled over before for no reason," he said. "We can have safe communities without being racially profiled."

Harris has scrutinized O’Neill Burke’s record as an assistant state’s attorney. He's put a spot spotlight on a decades-old murder case where O’Neill Burke, who is white, helped prosecute a Black child on charges he murdered an older white woman when he was 10 years old.

The conviction was thrown out by a federal judge who found the boy’s confession was coerced by police and taken without a parent or attorney present.

O’Neill Burke now says she’ll advocate for stronger legal protections for children under interrogation, but she wouldn’t change her work on the 1994 case as the boy’s attorney and parents were in court when he took the stand and repeated the confession.

"No one has ever questioned my conduct in this case or any case," she said, calling Harris’ campaign ads about the case a "distraction" for voters.

Harris disagrees.

"Instead of acknowledging that mistakes were made, there has been a doubling down," he said. "That’s the wrong attitude to have."

When it comes to fundraising, O’Neill Burke is ahead, with roughly double the amount of Harris, just under $2 million compared to roughly $750,000. Her sum includes money from top Republican donors.

But Harris has picked up hefty endorsements from labor unions, progressive leaders and the Cook County Democratic Party.

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His Democratic ties are a top target for O’Neill Burke.

Harris was briefly a chief of staff for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, helping oversee the office after Blagojevich was arrested and ultimately convicted. Harris wasn't accused of wrongdoing.

O’Neill Burke deems Harris a "Democratic insider" while attempting to tie his lobbyist work to Republicans who oppose abortion. Her campaign promises including creating a unit within the prosecutor’s office to protect abortion rights.

"I’ve spent every single day for the last 30 years in a courtroom from every vantage point. That’s a significant advantage," she said in an interview. "He has spent a career answering to politicians and you cannot answer to a politician in this job."

Also running in the primary is Republican former Chicago Alderman Bob Fioretti, who lost a 2020 bid for the office.

Trump aide, 27, launches GOP primary bid against Kinzinger, blasts ‘Fake Republican’ incumbent

Posted on by Joseph Wulfsohn
Just weeks after voting in support of the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., is already facing a pro-Trump GOP primary challenger.