Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Texas Senator Ted Cruz Trade Insults Amid National Guard Chicago Deployment Debate

Texas Senator Ted Cruz launched a harsh verbal attack on Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker during a Newsmax interview, calling him a "disgusting, racist bigot" and mocking his weight by referencing "the Domino’s Pizza line." Cruz criticized Pritzker's opposition to President Donald Trump's plan to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, accusing the governor of having "open doors for every human trafficker, every drug trafficker, every MS-13 and Tren De Aragua gang member." Pritzker responded sharply on social media, referencing Cruz's controversial 2021 Cancun trip during a deadly Texas winter storm by saying he would "never want to get between Ted and a trip to Cancun when there’s an emergency in Texas." This exchange occurred amid President Trump's push to send troops to Chicago, despite the city's crime rate being near its lowest in decades. The feud highlights the broader political clash over crime policy and immigrant communities, with Pritzker warning Trump not to come to Chicago and Cruz defending Trump’s approach to crime and immigration. Both politicians have used personal attacks and past controversies to score political points as tensions over law enforcement and safety policies intensify.