At ‘thank you’ Va. fundraiser, Pritzker steps up his attacks on Trump
ARLINGTON, Va. — Gov. J.B. Pritzker is swinging even harder at ex-President Donald Trump, now that he is the likely GOP presidential nominee.
The governor delivered the blows in a Saturday speech to Virginia Democrats where he called Trump “stupid and ignorant.” And in a reference to President Joe Biden, said, “I don’t want to hear any B.S. about anyone’s age.”
It’s an overcast Saturday afternoon and I’m at the Army Navy Country Club in this Washington suburb, situated on rolling hills not far from the Arlington National Cemetery. I’m here to cover Pritzker’s keynote at the Democratic Party of Virginia’s get out of the vote rally in advance of the Tuesday primary in this state.
Virginia is one of 15 states and one territory to vote on what’s called “Super Tuesday.”
Given Trump’s early state victories, the trend and polls for the next series of votes in the coming days are in his favor over former South Carolina governor and exU.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. On Saturday, Trump won caucuses in Idaho and Missouri and collected Michigan delegates at the state party’s convention. If Trump maintains his momentum, he may well have almost enough delegates to clinch the nomination by the March 19 Illinois primary.
The Democratic Party of Virginia’s pre-primary party fundraiser is billed as a “thank you” to Pritzker, and here’s why: His “Think Big America” operation — funded by the billionaire Pritzker — last year donated a total of $250,000 to four state Senate campaigns and the state party. Now both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly have abortion rights majorities.
Think Big America was created by Pritzker with a mission to bankroll candidates and ballot measures in states to support reproductive rights. With the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children, the Think Big America purpose is amplified with in vitro fertilization bans brewing.
“That’s why I founded Think Big America,” Pritzker said, not mentioning the donations to bolster Virginia Democrats.
“It’s a group that’s taking this fight to states all across the country until we can once again establish reproductive freedom on a national basis,” the governor said. “We’re committed to moving state by state to support state constitutional amendments and candidates protecting a woman’s right to choose. Since Republicans have now made abortion a state issue, well fine, we’ll make it a state issue.”
On the Trump front — well, Pritzker has been punching at Trump since he first ran for governor in 2018.
As hard as Pritzker’s swings have been, his speech on Saturday was the first time he slammed Trump since he likely had the nomination almost locked up.
Pritzker noted that for years he’s been calling Trump “racist, misogynist, homophobic and xenophobic” and that Trump was campaigning in Richmond, Va. on Saturday, “getting ready to rile up his extremist MAGA base.
“He’ll spew his hateful lies, his vitriol, his dark vision for this country, and he’ll do everything he can to claw his way back into office. But we’re not going to let him, are we.”
“Everything Trump stands for is even worse this time around. There are promises to jail political enemies. There are flirtations with dictatorships. There is Donald Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court working to delay his date with justice.
“…Here’s the thing, Trump can barely string a coherent sentence. But he has surrounded himself and his party with a circus of carnival barkers. People who yell about liberty all while working to strip our freedoms away from us.
“Their vision for our nation should scare every American,” Pritzker said, warning that Republicans want doctors who provide abortions and the women who are their patients in jail.
“They want to ban books and they want to take away voting rights,” he continued. “They’re okay with Russia and Putin attacking our allies. Our democracies in Europe… he wouldn’t simply throw them by the wayside.
“One conservative activist recently suggested that it was time to ban recreational sex. I would like to officially encourage Republicans to get in on that,” he said to laughs and applause.
Pritzker, also a top surrogate for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, took on the age issue — which polls show is punishing Biden, 81 and not Trump, 77.
“And I don’t want to hear B.S. about anyone’s age… Donald Trump was stupid and ignorant long before he got old,” the governor said.
Pritzker said he learned an important lesson in the 2016 presidential election, when Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton: “Don’t mince words, in the fight of your life. Don’t hold back. This is an existential battle everyone.”
‘‘EVERYTHING TRUMP STANDS FOR IS EVEN WORSE THIS TIME AROUND. THERE ARE PROMISES TO JAIL POLITICAL ENEMIES. THERE ARE FLIRTATIONS WITH DICTATORSHIPS. THERE IS DONALD TRUMP’S HAND-PICKED SUPREME COURT WORKING TO DELAY HIS DATE WITH JUSTICE.’’
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER, speaking Saturday (above) in Arlington, Va.