Gov. JB Pritzker says second Trump administration ‘slightly worse’ than COVID

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., said during a podcast Tuesday that the current political “moment” is “a little bit worse” than the COVID pandemic, despite the large number of deaths caused by COVID.

“I Did It” host Jennifer Welch He asked Pritzker how he was doing, and the governor said that while every day is a blessing, he is often asked whether the current Trump administration is comparable to the situation Americans are in during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been challenging,” he said. “I’ve been asked if this moment we’re in is like COVID. Are the challenges we face the same as every day? The answer is that even though people are dying in droves in the United States because of Donald Trump’s actions regarding COVID, I think it’s perhaps a little bit worse than COVID. But this is a really challenging moment.”

The Illinois governor referenced comments he made in 2025 in which he compared the Trump administration to the rise of Nazi Germany.

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“The authoritarian tactic becomes clear here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems. If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis a month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic,” Pritzker said in February 2025.

Pritzker said Tuesday that the right-wing attacked him for his comments and argued that his claim is valid in today’s conditions.

“And you know, people on the right attacked me and said, ‘How dare you? How dare you?’ they said. People on the left were silent and did not support this. What do you know now? Twelve months later, many more people among Democrats are already saying: ‘Yes, this looks like Germany in the 1930s.’ “And of course the Republicans won’t have it,” Pritzker told the “I Did It” hosts.

Welch also asked the governor if he is considering running for president in 2028. Pritzker is considered one of the top candidates for the nomination if he throws his hat in the ring.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker speaks on stage as people protest as part of the No Kings Rallies in Chicago, Illinois on October 18, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 in Washington, DC, USA. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for No Kings; Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“I’m flattered, I am, and I’m flattered that people are talking about it,” he said. “And I honestly couldn’t answer that question because I don’t know. I’m running for reelection as governor, and that’s unusual, because in Illinois, even though we don’t have any limits on the number of terms you can serve, it’s very unusual for anyone to run for a third term as governor. I think I’d be the second person to do that.”

The governor said he is deeply concerned about the country and plans to use his platform to speak out on the issue.

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Pritzker, a billionaire, has faced a challenge to his fortune as progressives continue to attack the wealthy. “I did it,” he told his hosts, trying to lower working-class taxes and raise taxes on people like himself.

After the interview, Welch said Pritzker is a billionaire who is ready to say, “Tax me more.”

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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.