Pritzker Calls Trump the ‘Most Corrupt’ President ‘Maybe Ever’

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called President Donald Trump the “most corrupt” president “maybe ever in the United States” during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” arguing that corruption in Washington should be a central Democratic message in the 2026 midterms.

Pritzker made the remark during an interview with host Jonathan Karl, who asked whether Democrats considered it an issue that Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding party was supported by a Russian oligarch. According to a clip flagged by Breitbart News, Pritzker pivoted away from the specific question and toward a broader indictment of the administration.

“I think the issue is the corruption in Washington by Donald Trump,” Pritzker said.

The governor then launched into a lengthy critique of the president’s business record and his conduct in office, claiming that Trump had not made money in business before entering politics and referencing his multiple bankruptcies. He accused Trump of “essentially stealing from the American public” and making decisions aimed at enriching himself, his family and those around him.

A push for a 2026 message

Pritzker named Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick among the people he said were profiting from their proximity to the president. He described the broader pattern as “the most corrupt presidency that we’ve seen in our lifetimes, maybe ever in the United States.”

“So that is one of the things that I think Democrats can run on in ’26,” Pritzker said. “We ought to be pushing back and holding him accountable.”

The comments reflect the ongoing effort by some Democratic leaders to frame the 2026 campaign around allegations of self-dealing and ethical lapses in the Trump administration, rather than a narrower focus on any single controversy. Pritzker, a two-term governor and a prominent surrogate for his party, has frequently positioned himself as a vocal critic of the president. His remarks Sunday signal that he intends to keep the corruption theme central to that role.

Karl’s initial question centered on a reported connection between the wedding celebration for Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian oligarch. Pritzker did not directly address that specific report, choosing instead to redirect the conversation toward what he described as systemic corruption.

The appearance also comes amid a broader partisan fight over oversight and accountability in Washington. Republicans have dismissed Democratic corruption accusations as political theater, while Democrats have pressed for investigations into the financial dealings of Trump, his family and administration officials.

Pritzker’s language on Sunday was among his sharpest yet. He characterized the president’s financial history in stark terms, asserting that Trump “didn’t make money in business” and “went bankrupt, what, six times,” before suggesting that his current position is being used for personal gain.

“He’s essentially stealing from the American public,” Pritzker said.

The governor did not offer specific evidence in the clip for his claims, and the interview excerpt released by Breitbart did not include any response from the White House or from Trump Jr. Breitbart noted that the comments came during the network’s “This Week” broadcast on ABC.

Pritzker’s call for Democrats to campaign on the issue in 2026 is likely to resonate with parts of the party’s base, which has repeatedly demanded a more aggressive posture toward the administration. Whether the message gains traction in competitive districts, where economic concerns often dominate, remains an open question.

For now, the governor’s remarks add another prominent Democratic voice to the argument that the next election should be a referendum on the president’s ethics. Pritzker framed the stakes plainly: “We ought to be pushing back and holding him accountable.”

Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/20/pritzker-trump-is-most-corrupt-president-maybe-ever/