Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker defended remarks comparing elements of the Trump administration to events in 1930s Germany during a Monday appearance on Inside Politics, stating that his comments were intended as a historical warning and that he believes developments since then have supported his concerns, as reported by Breitbart.

Speaking with host Manu Raju, Pritzker addressed criticism over statements he made in a previous State of the State address, where he drew parallels between the early days of Nazi Germany and current U.S. politics.

“Well, Manu, remember, what I was talking about was the fact that a constitutional republic was torn apart in 53 days in Germany in the 1930s, and that we need to watch out for that in this country,” Pritzker said.

“That is what I was talking about. And we’ve seen it — by the way, that speech was given in February of ’25. I think, over the last year, much of what I said has been proven to be true, that the institutions of this democracy are being attacked by the Republicans and by Donald Trump.”

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During the interview, Pritzker also discussed what he described as an increase in political violence over time.

“There has been an uptick of violence, on both sides, that has been against Republicans and Democrats, over the last, let’s say, eight to twelve years,” he said.

He continued by referencing statements he attributed to Donald Trump and members of the Republican Party.

“Remember that it’s been Donald Trump and the Republicans that have called for political violence. Donald Trump, from the very beginning, remember when he talked about a protester at one of his rallies that they should just beat him up, punch him? He’s talked about the death penalty for Gen. Mark Milley. He has called for jailing his political opponents, me included. So this is a president who, unfortunately, slips into that mode so easily.”

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Pritzker added that political rhetoric has at times escalated across party lines and suggested a shift toward less confrontational discourse.

“But I think we should get away from all of that. I’m sure that we can find examples across both sides of the aisle of rhetoric that people didn’t mean or perhaps that they went too far about. This is a moment when I think we should all take a step back and just remember that this country needs to bring peace to its politics and that we need to just argue in the dialogue here about the issues and which party should be in control after November.”

Raju’s question referenced reactions from critics who have pointed to Pritzker’s earlier comparison between the Trump administration and the rise of Nazi Germany. The governor reiterated that his intent was to highlight how quickly political systems can change, rather than to equate current conditions directly with historical events.

The exchange comes amid ongoing political debate over rhetoric, historical comparisons, and the tone of public discourse. Pritzker’s comments have drawn attention from both supporters and critics, particularly in the context of his prior speech delivered in February 2025.

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