Pritzker pledges to undo Trump’s D.C. renovation plans

Pritzker pledges – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called President Donald Trump’s White House renovation projects “disgraceful” and said he would reverse the changes—including the proposed arch—if elected president in 2028. In the same interview, Pritzker also attacked Trump’s mental

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker didn’t mince words when asked about the physical changes Trump has made to the White House.

In a sit-down interview Tuesday with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Pritzker was pressed on whether he would “reverse” the alterations Trump has made to the White House’s Oval Office and East Wing—and whether he would do away with Trump’s proposed arch—if he ran for and won the presidency in 2028.

“Absolutely,” Pritzker replied. “It’s disgraceful what he has done — literally tearing down traditions of Washington, D.C., [and] of the White House.” He pointed to the arch that Trump is building as part of what he described as a broader break with established customs.

Pritzker said the aim should be more than aesthetics. “The reality is that we need to restore not only the traditions of Washington but most importantly, the values that belong in the Oval Office itself.”

The interview quickly widened from building plans to leadership temperament. Pritzker argued that the country needs “a new president — whoever that is” who “actually carries with them honesty, integrity and importantly, kindness and empathy into the job.”

When Collins challenged him with his assessment of Trump’s mental condition—amid ongoing concerns about Trump’s cognitive health and fitness—Pritzker moved into blunt territory. “The man is continually suffering from dementia,” he said. “I don’t think he really understands what he’s saying. The truth is that. I mean. this is a man who’s threatened to jail the mayor of Chicago. the governor of Illinois.”.

Collins then read a statement from the White House that attacked Pritzker’s mental faculties. In the statement. Collins said. the White House called Pritzker “a certifiable loser who has done a terrible job running his state.” The statement further said. “Everybody sees it clearly except for him. He must have dementia.”.

Pritzker responded by hedging that he is “not a doctor,” but doubled down on his view of Trump’s conduct. “He regularly threatens to go after people and indeed has used the Department of Justice to go after people. ” Pritzker said. “So … I think he has these concepts in his head and he blurts them out without really thinking.”.

After Collins pressed him further, Pritzker returned to what he described as the president’s changing behavior during and after his first term. “I really think that there’s something genuinely wrong with him,” he said.

Taken together, the interview paired a pledge to undo Trump’s D.C. renovation decisions with a far more personal claim about Trump’s mental fitness. In the span of a single exchange. Pritzker went from defending Washington traditions—Oval Office values and all—to arguing that the country is dealing with a commander-in-chief he believes cannot consistently process what he is saying or doing. and that he has escalated threats through federal power.

JB Pritzker Donald Trump White House renovations Oval Office East Wing proposed arch 2028 election dementia remarks Illinois politics Department of Justice