Pritzker says Trump rhetoric ‘foments’ political violence after Charlie Kirk death

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, on Wednesday condemned political acts of violence in the wake of the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, although the governor argued that President Donald Trump often ignites political violence.

Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during an event on the campus of Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition before he was later pronounced dead.

“I want to express my sympathy to Charlie Kirk’s family and to Charlie Kirk,” Pritsker told reporters. “I don’t know whether it’s political violence because I don’t know who did it … But I will say that political violence unfortunately has been ratcheting up in this country, and we saw the shootings, the killings in Minnesota — we’ve seen other political violence occur in other states.”

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“And I would just say, it’s got to stop, and I think there are people who are fomenting it in this country,” he continued. “I think the president’s rhetoric often foments it. We’ve seen the January 6th rioters who clearly have tripped a new era of political violence 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? Not a good one.”

The governor referenced an incident in June in which Vance Boelter was charged with murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, her husband, Mark, and their dog at their home in Minneapolis. 

Boelter was also charged with shooting Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, and for attempting to shoot their daughter, Hope.

The incidents cited by Pritzker are just some of several acts of political violence in recent years, as Trump experienced two assassination attempts last year and Paul Pelosi, the husband of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was attacked with a hammer in 2022.

“No one in this country should have to fear gun violence, whether they’re in class in high school or attending an event on a college campus,” Pritzker later wrote on X. “I strongly condemn the shooting that killed Charlie Kirk today at Utah Valley University. May his memory be a blessing.”

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Responding to the governor’s comments to reporters, former Republican Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey, who is also reportedly running for governor against Pritzker in 2026, said the Democrat “pointed fingers” at Trump and the Jan. 6 rioters rather than simply condemning the violence against Kirk.

“JB Pritzker is the spoiled billionaire who’s always had everything handed to him. When Illinois needed leadership today after the violent attack on Charlie Kirk, what did JB do? Instead of condemning the violence, he pointed fingers at Donald Trump and January 6,” Bailey, who lost to Pritzker in the 2022 governor’s race, said on X.

“That’s not leadership—it’s cowardice. Illinois deserves leaders who take responsibility, who defend free speech, and who stand up for what’s right. Unfortunately, JB Pritzker has shown time and time again that he’s not up to the task,” Bailey added.