Pritzker disputes Trump speech claims

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says President Donald Trump tried to claim victimhood during his speech to the nation on Thursday night.

The president focused on election integrity and cited an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.

“They identified approximately 278,000 noncitizens who are registered to vote in federal elections. Since Democrat states refuse to share their voter files, the real number is actually much higher than that,” Trump said.

An Illinois State Board of Elections spokesperson said he was not able to comment, because of litigation involving the U.S. Department of Justice’s request for the state’s full voter database.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the president floated misleading strands of intelligence and suggested they are bombshell revelations of an international conspiracy.

“With his vague claims of non-citizen and other ineligible voters on the rolls, he attempted to once again claim victimhood despite having won the presidency twice under the same rules under which he lost in 2020,” Pritzker said in an online platform post titled “Lies and the Lying Liar Who Tells Them.”

Illinois Conservative Union Chair Carol Davis said the president provided the American people with legitimate receipts that validate what her organization has been warning about in Illinois since at least 2020.

“The shadow government knew. They lied and hid the truth. They are the real election deniers,” Davis said in a statement.

During his speech, Trump said the Big Beautiful Bill is saving working families thousands and thousands of dollars.

“Like with the provisions, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors,” Trump said.

The president said his administration is reducing the cost of health care.

“Drug prices are coming down by 70, 80 and 90 percent,” Trump said.

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis recently released the Producer Price Index for Pharmacies and Drug Retailers in June, showing a drop from 171.326 in June 2025 to 170.654 last month.

The Producer Price Index for Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing dipped slightly from May to June but remained higher than it was in June 2025.

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