Pritzker, a vocal Trump critic and potential 2028 presidential contender, used the platform to blast the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics in Chicago—amid ongoing ICE raids and National Guard deployments—while defending his state's sanctuary policies and crime statistics. Baier pressed him aggressively with data and pointed questions, leading to several viral moments where Pritzker appeared defensive or evasive.
Bret Baier: “Do you believe any illegal immigrant charged with or convicted of a felony should be deported?”
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) October 23, 2025
Gov. JB Pritzker: “I think they ought to take the violent criminals and get them out of my state and get them out of the country.”
Bret Baier: “You don’t help them,… pic.twitter.com/FXACe2Y7Ic
The segment drew over 2.5 million viewers, per Nielsen fast nationals, and sparked widespread social media backlash from conservatives accusing Pritzker of downplaying Chicago's violence and demonizing federal agents.
The interview unfolded against a tense backdrop: Recent ICE operations in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood detained at least seven people, including U.S. citizens, prompting Pritzker to call for protests and accuse agents of "racial profiling." This follows Trump's January 2025 executive order federalizing National Guard units in Democratic-led cities like Chicago to assist ICE amid a post-Biden border enforcement surge. Pritzker's appearance was his first major national TV hit since those raids, positioning him as a leading Democratic voice against Trump's "Operation Secure Streets."
WATCH: Fox’s @BretBaier challenges Gov. JB Pritzker on “deamonizing ICE agents” with extreme rhetoric pic.twitter.com/g01p7m1FDO
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) October 23, 2025
Media & Analysts: Fox's post-interview panel (including Democratic strategist) called Pritzker's performance a sign of "national ambitions," praising his border candor but critiquing his ICE rhetoric as "escalating." Conservative outlets like Breitbart and RedState dubbed it a "disaster," focusing on the crime map moment and his refusal to condemn Antifa clashes with ICE. Left-leaning voices defended him as "standing up to MAGA overreach."