Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has publicly accused former President Donald Trump of “suffering dementia” this week, escalating a bitter feud over Trump’s directive to deploy National Guard troops to Illinois. The strong condemnation comes despite Pritzker’s prior staunch defenses of President Joe Biden’s mental fitness against similar criticisms.
The heated exchange unfolds as Texas National Guard troops are reportedly en route to Illinois, a move Pritzker and Chicago officials have vehemently opposed, even filing a lawsuit to block the deployment.
Governor Pritzker’s “Dementia” Claim Against Trump
Governor Pritzker’s recent comments, made on Tuesday, directly questioned Trump’s cognitive state. “This is a man who’s suffering dementia,” Pritzker told The Chicago Tribune, referring to Trump. “This is a man who has something stuck in his head. He can’t get it out of his head. He doesn’t read. He doesn’t know anything that’s up to date. It’s just something in the recesses of his brain that is effectuating to have him call out these cities.”
Pritzker further suggested that the 25th Amendment, which outlines procedures for removing a president due to disability, “ought to be invoked” against Trump. This is not the first time Pritzker has raised such concerns; in September, he similarly stated, “I think he might be suffering from some dementia.”
The National Guard Deployment Dispute
The incendiary remarks are the latest development in an ongoing conflict between Pritzker and the Trump administration regarding federal troop deployment. The dispute centers on Trump’s decision to send National Guard members to Illinois, ostensibly to protect federal personnel and property amid anti-immigration protests and concerns over crime in major cities.
Illinois and Chicago officials, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, have challenged the legality and necessity of the deployment, arguing it is an “unlawful and unconstitutional” overreach of presidential power and politically motivated. On Monday, Illinois filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt the deployment. Pritzker has previously told Trump, “Mr. president do not come to Chicago. you are neither wanted here nor needed here.”
Trump’s Response to Illinois Officials
In response to the resistance from Illinois, Trump has not minced words. He reportedly stated that Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “should be in jail for failing to protect” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. A White House official also criticized Pritzker, saying, “Chicago is descending into lawlessness and chaos because this slob cares more about boosting his anti-Trump creds on X than he does about making his city safe.”
Pritzker’s Prior Defense of Biden’s Mental Fitness
Pritzker’s recent accusations against Trump stand in stark contrast to his past statements regarding President Joe Biden’s mental acuity. Throughout Biden’s term, Pritzker has consistently dismissed concerns about the President’s age and cognitive abilities.
Following a special counsel report in February 2024 that referred to Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory” in the context of classified documents, Pritzker was quick to defend the President. He characterized the special counsel’s comments as “extremely unfair” and politically motivated, even saying he “smelled a rat.” Pritzker asserted that Biden was “on the ball” and possessed knowledge exceeding what “most of us have forgotten.” He also dismissed the idea that voters should be concerned about Biden’s age.
