In a stern letter to President Joe Biden last week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker demanded that the White House take swifter action to address the migrant influx in Chicago.
Pritzker, however, stepped up this week to defend Biden on one of the most contentious issues surrounding the president’s reelection: age.
Pritzker’s plan is a noteworthy effort by a senior Democrat to take the offensive on the subject, which is largely regarded as one of Biden’s weaknesses.
At a fundraising dinner on Wednesday, Pritzker, who is also Biden’s surrogate for re-election, addressed Wisconsin Democrats about the problem.
Pritzker made a case on how both Biden and former President Donald Trump have matured in front of approximately 200 individuals, including elected officials like Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers, and claimed that while Trump has grown toxic, Biden has developed into a “gem.” Additionally, Pritzker emphasized that Democrats shouldn’t avoid the subject.
According to audio of the event provided to NBC News by the Pritzker campaign, Pritzker said, “I’ve thought a lot regarding why people care so much about their age in this coming election, and I also want to talk to you about it.” “We must cease ignoring objections raised by young people who are concerned about a candidate’s physical age. Instead, the age of the politicians’ beliefs is what people are terrified about.
Then Pritzker contrasted and compared Trump and Biden, pointing out that Trump was a member of a party that supported “traditional” views like restricting abortion.
In Donald Trump and Joe Biden, he observed, “We have two examples of how individuals age at the top of our presidential tickets.” “It’s not simply that Donald Trump lacks Joe Biden’s character; as he got older, he changed. He got the chance to use all of his life’s events to help him develop into a sympathetic, brave, and compassionate person. And instead, he made the decision to be petty, cowardly, and vicious.
“Who’s J.B. Pritzker?” was the response from Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung in a text message.
Even though Trump, his current front-runner in the polls, is 77 years old, Biden’s age of 80 has emerged as one of the key problems in his reelection campaign. Although there isn’t much of a difference, dozens of voters recently told NBC News that they thought Biden’s age was more of a concern.
Pritzker made the comments at the annual Founders Day Reception of the state Democratic Party, where elected officials, labor leaders, and contributors congregate.
A Pritzker representative claimed that the speech and message were developed independently of the Biden campaign.
Pritzker continued by asserting that Biden had made experience his “friend” and had used it to transform into “a gem of a human.”
Three-quarters of respondents to an NBC News poll conducted in September expressed concern about Biden’s age and mental competence. 59% of those surveyed expressed major concerns and 15% more moderate ones about Biden’s ability to serve as president for another term due to his mental and physical health.
When Pritzker penned a letter to the White House last week, he caused a stir by criticizing the “lack of intervention and coordination at the border.” In response to an increase of migrants in Chicago, Obama appealed for more government assistance.
Pritzker, who has twice won statewide elections, is widely thought to be in the running to become president in 2028. He is a billionaire and a devoted supporter of the Democratic Party; in addition to contributing to Evers’ successful reelection campaign, he gave the state party more than $1.1 million last year.
Pritzker once more served as Biden’s attack dog on Thursday. The governor, who also serves on the Biden campaign’s national advisory board, issued a statement that criticized Trump’s remarks on Israel the previous evening. In comments made on Wednesday, President Trump referred to Hezbollah as “very smart” and said that Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were preparing for the strikes.
Pritzker is a strong supporter of Israel and is Jewish. He also contributed to the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s construction.
Just days after what President Biden and Jewish leaders have termed the bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust, Pritzker stated in a statement that “no true friend of Israel, the Jewish people, or of peace would praise Hezbollah.” Donald Trump’s remarks are abhorrent, and dangerous, and serve as a stark reminder of a single, obvious fact: he is unsuited to serve as president of our nation and would reduce the security of the US and its allies throughout the world.
The former president’s remarks were supported by the Trump campaign, which said in a statement: “President Trump was clearly pointing out how stupid Biden and his government were by telegraphing to the terrorists a location that is susceptible to an assault. Smart does not equate to good. It merely demonstrates Biden’s stupidity.