JB Pritzker: the billionaire taking on Trump | Today, Explained

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has a playbook for fighting back against the Trump administration, and he says it’s working. Few Democratic politicians have leaned into the fight against the Trump administration as aggressively as he has. While some blue-state leaders have tried to find a lane of compromise or quiet resistance, Pritzker has gone the other direction: signing laws to limit ICE operations in Illinois, creating an accountability commission staffed by retired federal judges, suing the federal government, and successfully blocking the deployment of federalized National Guard troops on Chicago’s streets. Pritzker is a unique figure in Democratic politics. A billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, he has spent tens of millions of his own dollars to push for a more progressive income tax in Illinois and has advocated for a national wealth tax — policies that would directly cost him money. He's also a Jewish Democrat who has navigated his party’s shifting positions on Israel and Gaza and is a two-term governor who has drawn some public support as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. 00:00 Intro 01:22 The Illinois playbook against Trump 03:23 Are Dems too timid in their pushback against Trump? 05:07 Are our elections safe? 06:17 Democrats and immigration 09:27 A billionaire in favor of the wealth tax 11:12 Is Gov. Pritzker running for president? 14:03 Democratic missteps in the past 15:58 Views on Israel and antisemitism 19:31 Is Gov. Pritzker on GLP-1s? Today, Explained publishes compelling interviews with key figures in politics and culture every Saturday. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel to get them or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And new episodes of Today, Explained drop every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite listening app. If you enjoy our reporting and want to hear more from Vox journalists, sign up for our Patreon at patreon.com/vox. Each month, our members get access to exclusive videos, livestreams, and chats with our newsroom. Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com. Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H