Gov. JB Pritzker, on 'Meet the Press,' says he won't rule out '28 presidential run
Gov. JB Pritzker on Sunday’s "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" said he's not ruling out a 2028 presidential run — and called President Donald Trump a "cheater" in his personal and professional life.
The Democratic governor also once again defended Illinois’ Democratic-led congressional maps as he remains in the national spotlight for helping Texas Democrats take refuge in Illinois to avoid Republican redistricting efforts in their state.
Pritzker, who was on Kamala Harris’ vice presidential shortlist, has been asked about his political future for years — and he’s always vowed Illinois was his first priority.
But pressed by Welker on whether he can completely rule out a presidential run, the governor offered up a small glimpse.
“I can't rule anything out, but what I can rule in is that no matter what decisions I make, and I mean in particular about what I do here in the state of Illinois, is about the people of Illinois,” Pritzker said, according to an NBC transcript of Pritzker’s pre-recorded interview. “Indeed, any future decisions of mine will always be guided by that.”
The governor was asked if it was hypocritical for him to criticize Texas’ redistricting plan as Illinois has 14 Democratic districts out of 17 congressional districts in a state that saw 44% support for Trump in the 2024 election.
“Well, remember that what Texas is trying to do is, again, violate the Voting Rights Act. We didn't. We held public hearings, legislative hearings. People attended them. They spoke out. There was a map that was put out. There were actually changes made to the map. And a map was passed, and it was done at the end of the census, the decennial census. So that's how it's done in this country,” Pritzker said.
The governor pointed the finger at Trump, saying Texas Democrats are changing the rules mid-decade “at the behest of the president of the United States, who’s clearly attempting to and says that he deserves to have five more seats.”
“... He knows he's going to lose the Congress in 2026. That's why he's going to his allies and hoping that they can save him. And we've all got to stand up against this,” Pritzker said. “This is — it’s cheating. Donald Trump is a cheater. He cheats on his wives. He cheats at golf. And now he's trying to cheat the American people out of their votes.”
Welker asked Pritzker, whose worth is estimated at $3.7 billion by Forbes, about Democratic nominee for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani’s comments that billionaires shouldn’t exist.
“Governor, is that the kind of message that Democrats should be embracing?” Welker asked.
“Look — how much money you have doesn't determine what your values are. And I'm a Democrat because I believe that everyone deserves healthcare. I'm a Democrat because I believe we've got to fund education and have a free public education available to every kid in this country,” Pritzker said.
“I'm a Democrat because I believe that we've got to stand up for our democracy and against the MAGA Republicans who are literally trying to take away people's rights all across this country. So it does not matter what your income level is. What matters is what your values are, and that's what makes me a Democrat.”
The Democratic governor took a different approach on Tuesday's "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," instead making light of his wealth and trading barbs about Illinois' congressional maps.
Pritzker told Colbert he was “OK” with being a billionaire when Colbert offered that being a billionaire is “not a very popular thing to be right now.”
“You’re OK with it, I’m sure,” Colbert said. “You know what? That shows real courage.”
“I’ve got to stand up for my people,” Pritzker said to laughs.