A man strapped weapons to his body in a Washington hotel room, photographed himself in the mirror, and walked toward a ballroom full of Trump administration officials.
That was 11 days ago.
Now the Democrat who told America that Republicans "cannot know a moment of peace" is sitting in a Chicago deli blaming Donald Trump for the climate of violence.
The Democrat Who Called for Disruption Before the White House Correspondents Dinner Shooting
Last April in New Hampshire, Pritzker stood before a room of Democratic donors and said words that belong in a courtroom.
"Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now."
Then: "These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace."
In his February State of the State address, he invoked Nazi Germany – comparing the Trump administration to the rise of Adolf Hitler.
He has called Trump an "adjudicated rapist" in multiple public speeches.
Illinois Republicans filed articles of impeachment against him for rhetoric they said was "incompatible with the duties of his office."
That is Pritzker's record going into the Politico interview.
What Pritzker Told Politico Days After the Trump Assassination Attempt
Sitting in a Chicago deli with reporter Jonathan Martin, Pritzker delivered his verdict.
"Our leaders set the tone in this country," he said. "And I think that the president of the United States has set a tone where political violence is okay."
When CNN's Manu Raju asked Pritzker about his own inflammatory rhetoric after the WHCD shooting, Pritzker's answer was essentially that his Nazi comparisons are justified – because Trump actually is a Nazi.
That is not a paraphrase.
That is the argument he made on camera.
The WHCD Shooter's Manifesto Used Pritzker's Own Language
Cole Tomas Allen – the 31-year-old California man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump on April 25 – wrote in his manifesto that Trump was a "pedophile" and a "rapist," according to Mediaite's reporting on the case.
Pritzker has used that exact characterization in public speeches.
Allen traveled cross-country by train from Torrance, California, booked a room inside the Washington Hilton – the same hotel hosting the dinner – and arrived armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, a .38 caliber pistol, multiple knives, and a bag of reloading ammunition, according to DOJ charging documents.
At 8:03 p.m. he photographed himself in the hotel room mirror, weapons strapped to his body.
He walked toward the ballroom.
A Secret Service officer wearing a ballistic vest was shot in the chest stopping him.
That officer survived.
Allen now faces life in prison on attempted assassination charges.
It was the third known attempt to kill Donald Trump since 2024 – following the Butler, Pennsylvania rally shooting and the golf course attempt in West Palm Beach.
Karoline Leavitt Already Named Pritzker Before He Blamed Trump
Two days after the WHCD shooting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stood at the podium and read Pritzker's words into the record.
"Gov. JB Pritzker: never before in my life have I called for mass protests, disruptions," Leavitt said, listing him among Democrats whose rhetoric she said was inspiring violence against the president.
Pritzker's response was to go on Politico days later and blame Trump.
Steve Scalise – himself a survivor of a left-wing political shooting – said what needed saying Tuesday night on Hannity.
"Many of those attempted assassins on Donald Trump have regurgitated those very same words – 'Nazi, threat to democracy' – that people like Governor Pritzker used when they tried to kill the president."
His testimony is not political spin.
It is a scar on his hip that Democrats prefer not to discuss.
Pritzker called for "disruption."
He said Republicans "cannot know a moment of peace."
He compared the president to Hitler.
A man boarded a train for Washington with a shotgun and a manifesto.
You don't get to light the match and then demand credit for opposing fire.
Sources:
- Pam Key, "JB Pritzker: Trump 'Has Set a Tone Where Political Violence Is Okay,'" Breitbart, May 5, 2026.
- "Scalise Urges Pritzker to 'Look at the Man in the Mirror' After He Blames Trump for Political Violence," Fox News, May 5, 2026.
- Sean James, "JB Pritzker Says Trump 'Set the Tone' for Political Violence," Mediaite, May 5, 2026.
- Jeff Charles, "JB Pritzker Just Showed Us Why Nobody Should Take Him Seriously," Townhall, April 27, 2026.
- "Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the President," U.S. Department of Justice, April 27, 2026.
- "Amid Backlash, Pritzker Calls for Leaders – Especially Trump – to Tone Down Rhetoric," Capitol News Illinois, September 15, 2025.
- "After Assassination Attempt, White House Blames Democrats, Media for Political Violence," The Hill, April 27, 2026.
