JB Pritzker Picks a Fight with Pete Hegseth; It Does Not Go Well for Him

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker continued his public feud with President Donald Trump this week, renewing his criticism of federal immigration enforcement and the deployment of National Guard units to his state.

The Democrat governor’s comments mark the latest in a series of high-profile disputes that have defined his second-term relationship with the Trump administration.

Pritzker, who is rumored to be weighing a potential 2028 presidential run, has frequently positioned himself as a vocal opponent of Trump’s domestic policies.

His recent remarks came amid heightened tensions between federal authorities and Illinois officials over immigration enforcement and public safety in Chicago.

On Wednesday, Pritzker dismissed the administration’s law enforcement efforts, calling Trump “a convicted felon who is threatening to jail me” and labeling him “unhinged,” “insecure,” and “a wannabe dictator.”

Speaking to reporters, the governor added, “There’s one thing I really want to say to Donald Trump: if you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me.”

Pritzker: “This is a convicted felon…who is threatening to jail me. This guy is unhinged. He’s insecure. He’s a wannabe dictator. And there’s one thing I really want to say to Donald Trump: If you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me.” pic.twitter.com/27Bpkj3Em4

— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) October 8, 2025

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The governor’s combative stance follows his long-standing opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Chicago.

He has repeatedly resisted federal directives to assist in detaining and deporting criminal illegal immigrants and has criticized the use of National Guard troops in the state.

Pritzker’s position has drawn renewed scrutiny in light of recent ICE enforcement actions in Chicago under Operation Midway Blitz.

In September, federal agents arrested multiple criminal illegal aliens in the city, including individuals charged with sexual assault of a child family member, rape, armed robbery, and domestic battery.

ICE said the operation also honored the memory of Katie Abraham, who was killed in Illinois by drunk driver Julio Cucul-Bol, a criminal illegal immigrant.

The governor’s remarks also followed criticism of his handling of violent crime in Chicago.

Earlier this year, he publicly claimed the city was safe just one day after a violent Labor Day weekend that saw 58 people shot, eight of them fatally, during a span of 37 separate incidents.

Pritzker has continued to frame his disputes with the federal government as moral and political battles.

He previously injected himself into the redistricting debate in Texas, portraying himself as an advocate for fair maps despite Illinois being widely regarded as one of the most gerrymandered states in the country.

Critics have noted that the Illinois redistricting process has long favored the state’s Democratic establishment, including Pritzker himself.

On Wednesday, Pritzker shifted his focus to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, accusing him of neglecting his duties to “set a world record for pushups” while Illinois was “being invaded by Trump’s military troops.”

Pete Hegseth was busy ignoring his job and doing pushups as part of a show for the Guinness Book of World Records while Illinoisans are being invaded by Trump’s military troops. https://t.co/4OpZHrmj8I

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) October 8, 2025

Hegseth quickly responded, advising Pritzker to “do a few pushups himself” and reaffirming that National Guard units deployed under federal command would “do the job you refuse to do.”

Governor, you might try a pushup or two…

(In the meantime, our troops will do the job you refuse to do.) https://t.co/cRfftXbwd8

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) October 8, 2025

The exchange adds to a growing list of confrontations between the Illinois governor and federal officials as tensions continue to mount between state and federal authorities over immigration policy, public safety, and the balance of power between Washington and state governments.