Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is calling again for calm in the wake of last week's assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk ... and is insisting that he's not the one stoking violence.
After meeting with students and staff members at Harold Washington College, 30 E. Lake St., the governor told reporters that Kirk's death was part of what he called "an alarming trend in this country" targeting people because of their political beliefs, including June's fatal shooting of former Minnesota state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.
And Pritzker said that unlike past presidents who could be counted on to respond to incidents of violence with calls for calm and reason, "we have learned that we cannot rely on President Trump to tamp down the anger."
The governor said it's time for leaders on all sides to call for calm, and "that needs to start at the top."
But Republicans in the state Legislature's Freedom Caucus have accused the governor of fueling tension with some of his remarks over the last few months, including a statement during February's State of the State address that they say likened the Trump Administration to Nazis. The caucus has filed articles of impeachment against the governor in Springfield.
Pritzker, who was a major donor to the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, denies that he's called Republicans Nazis, and says he's been a consistent voice for peaceful action: "I have always advocated that if one is to protest, they should do so peacefully."