J.B. Pritzker in Chicago, Oct. 1, 2018. (Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
(JTA) — Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker rebuked President Donald Trump for “disparaging the very foundation of Judaism” in a fiery address in New Hampshire Sunday night.
“Stop tearing down the Constitution in the name of my ancestors. Do not claim that your authoritarian power grabs are about antisemitism. When you destroy social justice, you are disparaging the very foundation of Judaism,” said Pritzker, who is Jewish.
In his remarks Sunday at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, Pritzker railed against fellow party members who he says did too little to prevent Trump’s second term. His address also gained attention for urging protest and “disruption,” and for the audience to confront Republican officials.
“Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption, but I am now,” he said to cheers. “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.”
That statement prompted backlash from Republicans who accused him of fomenting violence. Donald Trump, Jr., the president’s son, tweeted in response, “Are you trying to inspire a 3rd assassination attempt on my dad? Two wasn’t enough for you?”
Sunday’s address is the latest in a recent series of speeches by Pritzker, who is endeavoring to unify the Democratic party and “rally the troops,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press. His speech Sunday night is not the first time he has invoked his Jewish identity while condemning the Trump administration.
At his annual State of the State and budget address in February, Pritzker warned about an impending constitutional crisis over Trump’s executive actions and drew a comparison between the president’s actions and how quickly the Nazis were able to “dismantle a constitutional republic.”
During his campaign for governor of Illinois in 2018, Pritzker told local media his childhood was imbued with Jewish values. He also highlighted his support for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in his campaign website and previously served on the board of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby.
Ahead of his swearing-in in January 2019, Pritzker recalled how his ancestors fled pogroms in Ukraine in 1881 before settling in Chicago.
Pritzker was also an early contender for Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick during her presidential campaign.
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