Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, should “suffer some consequences” for what he called the governor’s failure to control violent crime in Chicago.
Vance laid the responsibility squarely on Pritzker.
President Donald Trump has called for Pritzker to face legal action, The Hill reported.
Vance defended Trump’s remarks suggesting Pritzker should be “jailed,” saying the governor “has failed to keep the people of Illinois safe” amid persistent violence in Chicago.
In an appearance on ABC News “This Week,” Vance was pressed repeatedly by host George Stephanopoulos about whether Pritzker had committed a crime. Trump had accused the governor of obstructing federal immigration enforcement and failing to protect residents from crime.
“I think Gov. Pritzker has certainly failed to keep the people of Illinois safe,” Vance said, citing Chicago’s high murder rate. “Why is he so mad at Donald Trump for trying to keep Chicagoans safe? He should be mad at the criminals that he has failed to keep at bay.”
“We’re trying to help him, and we’re trying to help the residents of his biggest city,” Vance said. “I wish that he would let us because he certainly isn’t doing the job himself.”
When asked directly if he agreed with Trump that Pritzker had committed a crime, Vance sidestepped but said the governor should face accountability.
“Well, I think that Gov. Pritzker has allowed a lot of people to be killed in the city of Chicago and elsewhere, George. I think that it’s disgraceful, and I think that he absolutely should suffer some consequences for the fact that there are thousands of innocent Chicagoans who are dead because he failed to do his job,” he said.
Pressed again, Vance added that Pritzker “violated his fundamental oath of office” and that “it’s up to the court to decide whether the governor committed a crime.”
“George, you are going to keep on asking this question; I’m going to keep on telling you that Gov. Pritzker has failed to do his job. He should suffer some consequences,” Vance said. “Whether he’s violated a crime, ultimately, I would leave to the courts, but I certainly think that he has violated his fundamental oath of office. That seems pretty criminal to me.”
Appearing later on the same program, Pritzker fired back, accusing Vance and the Trump administration of spreading “a tidal wave of lies.”
“Well, you just heard a tidal wave of lies from the vice president of the United States,” Pritzker said. “It’s a bit shocking, and you heard over and over again him just making things up on national television with you.”
Pritzker said the administration is targeting political opponents and acting without integrity. “They’re making things up to go after people,” he said. “And the fact that he’s made a threat against me, I’m not afraid. I’m going to stand up for the people of my state.”
The governor called on Democrats and Republicans alike to speak out against what he described as “unconstitutional actions” from Washington.
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