Dem governor issues stark warning to Trump: ‘You come for my people, you come through me’

Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued a stark warning to President-elect Trump following his landmark victory, promising that if anyone tries to “come for my people,” they will have to “come through me.”

“People have often said that I’m a happy warrior, and I’ve always taken seriously my role as a happy warrior on behalf of this state,” Pritzker said in a news conference Thursday. “Even today, when I’m struggling with many of the difficult questions this election poses, my optimism for the future remains undiminished.”

“To anyone who intends to come take away the freedom and opportunity and dignity of Illinoisans: I would remind you that a happy warrior is still a warrior,” he said. “You come for my people, you come through me.”

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker held a news conference Thursday to discuss the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, issuing a warning that if anyone tries to “come for my people,” they will have to “come through me.” (Governor JB Pritzker via X)

Pritzker’s words of warning came after he promised to protect residents from Trump’s “backward” agenda.

“Over the years ahead, we’ll do more than just protect against possible reversion to an agenda that threatens to take us backwards,” he said. “We will continue to advance a positive, productive and inclusive agenda of our own.”

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“Despite his threats to health care coverage and educational opportunity and a fair minimum wage, Illinois will continue to invest in the well-being and prosperity of all our people.”

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at a news conference hosted by Biden-Harris 2024 National Advisory Board members in Des Moines, Iowa. (Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Illinois has maintained some of the strongest abortion protection laws under Pritzker, launching the Midwest state to become a safe haven for women seeking abortions.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.