Oh, Governor Pritzker. Gotta hand it to him — the man can spin faster than a Chicago wind turbine in February. If you missed it, Fox News anchor Bret Baier sat down with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for what was supposed to be a straight-shooting interview, but quickly turned into a game of “Let’s Pretend the Stats Don’t Exist.”
Baier came armed — not with gotcha questions, but actual, verifiable data — including a map showing Chicago leading the pack when it comes to murder rates among America’s biggest cities. That’s not Fox News commentary, folks. That’s just math. Chicago clocked in with a murder rate of 17.47 per 100,000 population — higher than Philly, L.A., Houston, and yes, even New York City. And yet, Governor Pritzker straight-up claimed Chicago isn’t even in the top 30. I mean, are we looking at the same map?
When Baier calmly pressed him — you know, with facts and evidence — Pritzker whipped out the classic political dodge. “We’re not in the top 30.” Oh? Based on what, exactly? The fantasy crime index created in the back room of a progressive think tank in Wicker Park?
Baier, to his credit, didn’t back down. He pulled receipts. He had the Wirepoints report — an Illinois-based research nonprofit, mind you — showing Chicago led the nation in total murders in 2024. That’s 573 people. Let that sink in. That’s not just a number; that’s 573 lives lost. For comparison, New York — with three times the population — had 377. But sure, let’s keep pretending things are going great under Democrat leadership.
Pritzker’s rebuttal? Well, if you listen closely, it’s the same tired refrain we’ve heard from blue state leaders for years: “Look at how much better we’ve done compared to our own worst years!” Translation? “Yeah, crime was totally out of control a couple years ago, but now it’s only mildly horrifying!”
He tossed out the line, “Our murder rate has been cut in half,” like that settles everything. Except — even if true — cutting a nightmare in half still leaves you with half a nightmare. A little less chaos isn’t exactly something to brag about when you’re still leading the major cities in total murders.
And let’s talk about the sleight of hand here. Pritzker starts throwing around “violent crime” numbers, which include things like aggravated assault and robbery, hoping no one notices the switcheroo. But Baier calls it out directly: “No, no, no, these are murders.” Period. End of story.
Except of course, Pritzker doesn’t end there. He keeps pivoting, claiming — I kid you not — “We’ve been doing the things that are necessary to bring crime down.” Really? Like what — decriminalizing soft crime, releasing repeat offenders, and slashing police budgets until morale hits bedrock?
This is incredible
Bret Baier: “Why does Chicago have the highest murder rate of all the big cities?”
JB Pritzker: “We’re not in the top 30”
Baier shows him a map showing Chicago is #1
Pritzker: “Look, you can pull statistics up … our murder rate has been cut in half” pic.twitter.com/a360hDRrmv
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 24, 2025
Here’s the deal: when your city tops the charts in murders among the most populous metros in America, it’s time to stop spinning and start fixing. And maybe, just maybe, don’t stand there on national TV and pretend your city is a beacon of safety while 573 families are burying loved ones.
Oh, and before anyone tries to deflect with “Well, St. Louis has a higher murder rate!” — yeah, no kidding. But with five times fewer murders than Chicago, it’s not exactly the same league. Not to mention, we’re talking about total murders among major U.S. cities. That’s the stat Baier brought. That’s the stat Pritzker tried to dance around like he was auditioning for “Dancing with the Spin Doctors.”
This is the problem with leadership that’s more concerned with image than with outcomes. When the facts don’t fit the narrative, just change the metric. Or better yet, just deny reality altogether.
But here’s what the rest of us know — especially those living in the neighborhoods that don’t get a security detail. Numbers don’t lie. Politicians do.
