It seems the fever dream continues. Joy Behar is in the mix, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has joined the chorus of alarmists. Recently, Pritzker appeared on MSNBC’s prime time platform with Rachel Maddow, making a bold claim: he suspects President Trump plans to deploy the U.S. Military to confiscate ballot boxes during the 2026 midterms to manipulate the election outcome in his favor. This rhetoric seems straight out of a political thriller, but alas, it’s unraveling in the real world.
A partial transcript of the remarks can be found via Breitbart News, where Pritzker elaborates, “The broader aim is the militarization of major American cities as we approach the 2026 elections. In Chicago, for instance, they have mobilized ICE and CBP personnel, outfitting them in military attire and parading them through downtown with automatic weapons. It sends a message: the presence of troops is becoming normalized on our streets. However, I assure you, those living in Chicago are not particularly welcoming this change.”
He continued ominously, “I worry that by next year, we might see these military personnel deployed to polling places under the guise of ‘protecting the vote.’ Trump is acutely aware that, without some form of underhanded tactics and constitutional violations, he stands to lose significant power in Congress. And should that loss come, I predict he may revert to his 2020 playbook—utilizing military resources to seize ballot boxes and declare a fraudulent election as justification.”
Here’s the clip:
JB Pritzker voices electoral fears, suggesting Trump will “use the military to confiscate ballot boxes” to hijack the midterms pic.twitter.com/qza9dT1RNu
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) October 7, 2025
This isn’t the first time Pritzker has raised alarm bells over the 2026 elections—from making similar predictions just last month, it seems his narrative is becoming a repetitive soundtrack. These assertions come from a group that has long accused Republicans of spinning conspiracy theories. However, with every televised appearance, their own tales seem to spiral into increasingly bizarre territory as they grapple with the potential of losing again at the polls.
Mike LaChance has been a keen observer of higher education and politics for Legal Insurrection since 2012. In addition to his work with the Gateway Pundit, he has contributed to numerous outlets, including the Daily Caller, Breitbart, the Center for Security Policy, the Washington Free Beacon, and Ricochet, among others.
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