JB Pritzker Fires Back at Trump’s "Demented" Attacks on Chicago | Pivot
Scott Galloway (host), Narrator, Kara Swisher (host), Narrator, Narrator, JB Pritzker (guest), Narrator, Scott Galloway (host), Narrator, Narrator
In this episode of Pivot, featuring Scott Galloway and Narrator, JB Pritzker Fires Back at Trump’s "Demented" Attacks on Chicago | Pivot explores pritzker Defends Chicago, Slams Trump, and Floats Big Progressive Ideas In a live Pivot taping from Chicago, Governor J.B. Pritzker joins Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway to discuss federal immigration enforcement, Chicago’s reputation, and national politics. He praises Chicago residents for resisting ICE and CBP operations and criticizes the Trump administration for secrecy, illegality, and racial profiling. Pritzker pushes back hard on Trump’s depiction of Chicago as crime-ridden and “failed,” arguing instead that the city and state are economically vibrant and on the rise. The conversation broadens into redistricting battles, Democratic strategy on the government shutdown, Illinois’ push to lead in quantum computing, and Pritzker’s positions on national policy issues that hint at presidential ambitions.
Pritzker Defends Chicago, Slams Trump, and Floats Big Progressive Ideas
In a live Pivot taping from Chicago, Governor J.B. Pritzker joins Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway to discuss federal immigration enforcement, Chicago’s reputation, and national politics. He praises Chicago residents for resisting ICE and CBP operations and criticizes the Trump administration for secrecy, illegality, and racial profiling. Pritzker pushes back hard on Trump’s depiction of Chicago as crime-ridden and “failed,” arguing instead that the city and state are economically vibrant and on the rise. The conversation broadens into redistricting battles, Democratic strategy on the government shutdown, Illinois’ push to lead in quantum computing, and Pritzker’s positions on national policy issues that hint at presidential ambitions.
Key Takeaways
Local communities can effectively resist aggressive immigration enforcement through coordinated, peaceful action.
Pritzker credits Chicagoans with buying whistles, filming encounters, and warning neighbors about unmarked federal agents, leading to successful federal court cases and limiting ICE/CBP’s impact.
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Lack of federal-state communication on enforcement operations creates legal and logistical chaos at the local level.
Pritzker says the Trump administration bypassed normal protocols by not informing state leaders of operations, forcing Illinois to learn plans from the press and counter misinformation in real time.
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Narratives about ‘lawless’ cities often ignore real improvements and serve political ends.
Trump continues to portray Chicago as burning and crime-infested, even as Pritzker notes that homicides have been cut roughly in half in recent years and attributes claims of success from Trump as unfounded.
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Cities and states can compete as ‘products’ by investing in talent, tech hubs, and quality of life.
Pritzker pitches Chicago/Illinois as a high-opportunity destination with strong tech jobs, major institutions, sports culture, and ‘decent people,’ citing Google’s expansion and internal demand for transfers to Chicago.
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Redistricting has become a strategic arms race between parties at the state level.
He describes a pattern where Republican gerrymandering in one state is met with Democratic counter-moves in another, and suggests Indiana’s actions could trigger Illinois to pursue its own redistricting despite already having a strong Democratic majority.
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Democrats risk undermining their electoral mandate when they appear to capitulate on core issues like shutdowns and social spending.
Pritzker calls the eight Democratic senators’ vote to end the shutdown a major mistake, arguing they relieved pressure on Trump, who engineered the crisis to attack food security and healthcare.
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Strategic public investment can position a state as a national leader in emerging technologies.
By backing the Chicago Quantum Exchange, insisting on multi-university partnerships, and building a quantum campus, Illinois has placed itself ahead of rival states like Colorado and Maryland in the race to lead quantum computing.
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Notable Quotes
““The man is demented. He really has no idea what he’s doing.””
— Governor J.B. Pritzker, on Donald Trump’s attacks on Chicago
““For two months now they’ve been under siege by Customs and Border Patrol, by ICE, by Gregory Bovino, and this city really stepped up, activated, peacefully protested, and has pushed back.””
— Governor J.B. Pritzker
““They’re stopping people who have brown skin or Black skin and just asking them for their United States citizenship papers. I don’t know about any of you, but I don’t carry citizenship papers, and we shouldn’t have to in this country.””
— Governor J.B. Pritzker
““This is probably the biggest mistake I’ve seen maybe in my political career.””
— Governor J.B. Pritzker, on the eight Democratic senators voting to end the shutdown
““We have got to put some limits… social media is probably the biggest danger to young people in this country.””
— Governor J.B. Pritzker
Questions Answered in This Episode
How sustainable is community-based resistance to ICE and CBP, and what legal or policy changes would make it unnecessary?
In a live Pivot taping from Chicago, Governor J. ...
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To what extent do presidential attacks on specific cities tangibly affect those cities’ economies, reputations, and investment prospects?
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Should Democrats match Republican gerrymandering when it’s legal, or unilaterally push for independent redistricting commissions even if it costs seats?
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What concrete metrics should be used to judge whether Illinois truly becomes the nation’s leading quantum and AI hub over the next decade?
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Do Pritzker’s national policy positions—on universal healthcare, childcare, minimum wage, and Ukraine—signal a viable presidential platform, or are they too far left for a general electorate?
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Transcript Preview
Good evening, Chicago.
(cheering)
Greatest city in America. Well, welcome to the podca- ... Welcome to the podcast that cuts through all the spin. We're talking about Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway.
(cheering)
Now these two break down the biggest stories and aren't afraid to call anyone out. Pivot is honest, informative, never boring. And that's why it's so smart that Kara and Scott have come to Chicago, 'cause this is a city that's always been about innovation, hard work, and telling it like it is.
(cheering)
Go, Scott!
So no better place to be in the country than here in Chicago tonight. So please join me in welcoming Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway.
(cheering)
I'm excited! Ugh. I, I, you know, Washington was a little louder, so let's try that again.
Boo!
No. Oh, boo Washington. Oh, what do you think, I'm trump at a football game? Cut it out.
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