Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and a WIND 560 AM talk host butted heads this week while discussing COVID-19, with the governor declaring, "You are spreading misinformation."
After a press conference in Chicago where Pritzker signed legislation expanding access to mental healthcare, the governor fielded questions from reporters, reports FOX32.
WIND Morning co-host Amy Jacobson asked Pritzker about whether he would shut down in-person learning at schools again should COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. The governor, although adamant he would not want to do such a thing, would not rule out a move should a "widespread" outbreak occur.
"If all of a sudden we started to see that there was a widespread delta— or something that was overcoming, for example, the vaccine that people have already taken, and sending people to the hospital who are already vaccinated, then we would have to look at a whole new set, the bottom of the list, you know things that we left far in the distance last year — that we might have to revisit those things. But that’s not something that I would say is highlighted on that menu of options," Pritzker said.
As Pritzker concluded his remarks and stepped away from the podium, Jacobson fired back before being cut off by the governor's press secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh.
"You had a protest out there this morning and parents were crying, screaming ‘oh my God’ — you know as governor you should try and calm people’s nerves maybe, or can you because there are low risk groups," Jacobson was in the middle of saying before Abudayyeh cut her off.
"Amy, as a supposed reporter, you should probably stop the misinformation, we are done here. Thank you. You know how you prevent schools from being closed? You stop complaining about the mask wearing," Abudayyeh said.
I strongly encourage you to look at the CDC, observation studies only, which can easily be politicized and the 1 the NIH conducted. It came back inconclusive. https://t.co/YKDGhevpeL
— Amy Jacobson (@AmyJacobson) August 25, 2021
Visibly frustrated by the exchange, Pritzker returned to the podium to address Jacobson's line of questioning.
"You are spreading misinformation. I wish you would stop spreading misinformation. You come in here with a political agenda and you spread misinformation and I just think you should stop. We now need to protect our children. We need to protect the people in our communities. Parents, grandparents, teachers — you are working against that. And it is extremely upsetting for all of us who are trying to keep the rest of the state safe," Pritzker concluded.
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