Illinois Governor JB Pritzker recently responded to a call from former D.C. police officer Michael Fanone, who was injured during the January 6 Capitol events. Fanone had encouraged Americans to use their Second Amendment rights to defend themselves against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This plea came after a shooting incident in Minneapolis.
In a segment on “State of the Union,” CNN’s Jake Tapper played a clip of Fanone. He claimed that, given the current situation, it was time for Americans to organize and potentially arm themselves against what he described as lawless institutions. “It’s time for Americans to organize and use our Second Amendment rights to protect ourselves from lawless institutions that are clearly unaccountable and are killing Americans,” Fanone urged during the podcast.
Fanone expressed frustration, stating that individuals don’t need to follow police directives when protesting peacefully and used strong language to emphasize his point.
After the clip aired, Tapper sought Pritzker’s thoughts. Pritzker firmly stated that violence is unacceptable in any form. “I told the protesters—mostly peaceful protesters—to stay away from violence,” he added. He emphasized the importance of protesting loudly but peacefully, urging residents not to give authorities any reason to deploy the National Guard.
Pritzker mentioned that Illinois has successfully challenged attempts to deploy the National Guard in the past. He insisted that the focus should be on ensuring law enforcement follows protocols rather than promoting armed confrontations between citizens and police.
In a subsequent segment, Brian Lanza, a former adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign, criticized Fanone’s remarks. He described them as a dangerous escalation, suggesting that they could prompt violent confrontations between citizens and law enforcement. Lanza labeled Fanone’s call for action as “despicable.”
Fanone has previously spoken out against Tapper, referring to him as opportunistic in a November interview, critiquing his approach to journalism.
