January 1, Pritzker Spins Chicago Murder Numbers on TV

Wyatt’s Take

• Pritzker faced tough questions about Chicago’s murder rate.
• He blamed old numbers and took credit for falling crime.
• Chicago’s homicide stats still outpace most major cities.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was grilled on live TV over Chicago’s murder numbers, first denying then downplaying the problem altogether.

The governor was challenged by Fox News’ Bret Baier, who showed stats proving Chicago has a higher murder rate than Los Angeles, New York, and Houston.

WATCH: @BretBaier presses Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on why Chicago has the highest murder rate of all big American cities pic.twitter.com/LbhTU0CQMn

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 23, 2025

Pritzker argued, “You can pull statistics up. I can, too,” then said murders have been cut in half since 2021.

The truth is murder rates have dropped all over the country after the pandemic, not just in Illinois.

Chicago’s rate is just barely better than it was before COVID, sitting at 17.47 per 100,000 people, and it’s still higher than most big cities.

Instead of talking about the nationwide trend, Pritzker highlighted his own policies and spending on police and violence prevention.

He said, “We’ve invested in community violence interruption. We’ve invested in police. I’ve added more state police than any governor in quite a long time.”

While the governor wants to claim credit, the facts show the crime drop isn’t unique to his state.

Stay informed and stand strong—these issues affect every corner of our country.

Wyatt Matters

Honesty from leaders matters to working families who deal with the realities of crime every day, not just talking points from TV studios.

Full details here