Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says race is stark contrast between Harris and Trump's "stupidity"
CHICAGO (CBS) – In his speech Tuesday night during the Democratic National Convention, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker framed the 2024 general election as a stark contrast between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Pritzker began the speech by highlighting Illinois' rich history of being the starting point for multiple future presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Barack Obama, who was also scheduled to speak Tuesday night. He even mentioned parts of Harris' early life spent in Illinois.
"Now Illinois' presidential pedigree is unmatched, and given that Vice President Kamala Harris spent some of her early life right here, I speak for the entire Illinois delegation when I say, we claim her too," Pritzker said.
The governor spent a large portion of his speech criticizing Trump, calling him a "con artist." Pritzker even referred to his own vast wealth, estimated at around $3.5 billion, in criticizing Trump's economic policies.
"Donald Trump thinks that we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich, but take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity," Pritzker said, to a roaring reaction.
The governor even used the opportunity to defend the city of Chicago, which Trump criticized numerous times during his presidency. Pritzker has been a frequent and vociferous critic of Trump during his governorship, often calling him racist and sexist, and pointing out Trump is a convicted felon.
"Donald Trump once called Chicago embarrassing. To quote a great Chicagoan who won six world championships on these very grounds, we take that 'personally,'" he said referencing basketball legend Michael Jordan.
The speech comes not long after Pritzker's name was floated as a possible alternative to President Biden at the top of the ticket amid calls for the 81-year-old to drop out of the race. Once Biden did drop out and endorsed Harris to be the party's nominee, Pritzker's name was again mentioned as a top contender to be her vice presidential pick.
While he was ultimately not chosen to appear on the ballot, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot cast Tuesday night's speech as Pritzker's opportunity to retain his relevance as a possible national political figure into the future.
"He was clearly in the hunt for vice president," Lightfoot told CBS News Chicago. "His calculus has now changed since the party is going in a different direction this year. He's gotta stay relevant. You see him being, and he has been, a surrogate for the Biden-Harris ticket for over the last year. He's doing every major national program. He's going and talking to state parties, so this is about his political future."
Pritzker also made sure to highlight the economic policies of the Biden-Harris administration as being supportive of working and middle-class families. He also took aim at criticisms from conservative criticisms of Democratic policies that emphasize racial equity and other progressive social stances.
"Let's be clear, it's not woke that limits economic growth, it's weird, and these guys aren't just weird, they're dangerous," he said.
The governor argued that the country is in need of a president who will provide "serenity," something he said Trump would not provide.
"We have a choice America between the man who left our country a total mess and the woman who has spent four years cleaning it up," Pritzker said. "And I think it's time we stop expecting women to clean up messes without the authority and the title to match the job."