President Donald Trump’s verbal assault on Democrat-led cities, threats to send in the National Guard, and push to redraw congressional lines have created a platform for two of his fiercest rivals to raise their national profile. 

Govs. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and JB Pritzker (D-IL), two of the early front-runners for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, have pushed back on all things Trump to endear themselves to a desperate base that has been largely failed by its national leaders.

Recommended Stories

• Whitmer shies away from 2028 presidential bid, would rather help than be 'main character'
• Obama Foundation neglects Chicago taxpayers with funds sent to Tides group

Newsom’s popular social media account mocks members of the Trump administration daily, points out faults in logic, and pushes back on data and other information they believe do not pass muster. Newsom himself has made appearances on almost every television network. He went on Real Time with Bill Maher in August and was praised by the host for his Trump-trolling skills.

“I’ve never seen a Democrat do this,” Maher said. “I think it’s very funny.”

Newsom also made an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he enjoyed a friendly interview that gave him the opportunity to slam Trump and distinguish himself from other Democrats.

Now, it’s Pritzker’s turn.

“If Pritzker’s politically smart, he will use any sending of National Guard into Chicago to his advantage, pushing back, and using the media that Newsom has,” Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at Ethics and Public Policy Center, told the Washington Examiner.

“It’s not clear how well he will do because we haven’t seen him perform in that way,” Olsen continued. “So far, Newsom has really captured the activist Democratic base with what he’s doing. He’s been very good on social media. He’s been very good with his regular pronouncements. His redistricting initiative really catches the Democratic zeitgeist. So he has been really successful, and so the question is whether Pritzker can carve out a similar but separate space or whether it’s just going to be viewed as more of the same.”

Trump has been threatening to send troops to Chicago for the past several weeks, describing it as a lawless “hellhole” despite data showing that crime is decreasing.

Pritzker said Monday that he received a report that the Trump administration would be deploying 100 troops to the city to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and facilities over his and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s objections.

Since then, he has stepped up his verbal attacks on Trump, comparing him to Russian President Vladimir Putin and saying “there is something genuinely wrong with this man.”

“It appears that [for] Donald Trump, not only has dementia set in, but he’s copying tactics of Vladimir Putin,” Pritzker said. “Sending troops into cities, thinking that that’s some sort of proving ground for war, or that indeed there’s some sort of internal war going on in the United States, is just, frankly, insane, and I’m concerned for his health.”

He added that the “25th Amendment ought to be invoked.”

Even at a time when the livelihoods of thousands of federal workers are hanging in the balance as a result of the government shutdown, Trump’s determination to deploy troops to Chicago provides Pritzker with an opportunity to be a sharp contrast to the president.

“It’s definitely been a strong moment for Pritzker, who also got to be on insiders’ radar as Chicago hosted the DNC last year,” Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff told the Washington Examiner. “One main vulnerability for Newsom is that he is almost too out there on comms and messaging, but his actual policy actions and efforts seem to get less coverage, despite some real wins like the first-in-the-nation AI safety bill he just signed.”

Shroff said he believes Pritzker’s advantage is that his arguments are backed by substance.

“He obviously led an effort to at least postpone Trump sending troops into Chicago, which seemed to at least work somewhat — we’ll see how that develops — but there will certainly be a fight to be had in the courts as well,” he said. “And he also comes across much more authentic than Newsom. Newsom’s smile and charm seem very polished and forced. Pritzker has real charisma and presence, but it comes across more authentic and genuine. He doesn’t seem like he is chasing down every camera and random YouTuber he can for an interview. He is also a billionaire who can use that lens to draw major contrasts with Trump.”

Jeff Le, a former deputy Cabinet secretary to former Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown, agreed that Pritzker may be able to show off his political prowess on the national stage, courtesy of Trump, and distinguish himself from Newsom.

“Gov. Pritzker has made efforts to position himself as a future national candidate through his remarks and challenges to the president,” Le told the Washington Examiner. “While he also enjoys Democratic supermajorities in Springfield like Gov. Newsom in Sacramento, he has partnered with the state legislature to push for constitutional amendments for worker and labor rights, as well as a minimum wage increase. Much of his rhetoric has focused on the working class, often to distance himself from his own wealth and emphasize his political values for the electorate.”

Le noted that while Pritzker has turned to the courts and used sharp anti-Trump language to boost his position with a national electorate, “it’s also a reminder of the president’s ability to oversee a vast and powerful federal government.”

Others, such as David McLaughlin, a political expert from Georgia, told the Washington Examiner that there is a risk that Newsom and Pritzker cancel each other out.

“2028 is so far off,” he said. “In 2005, Barack Obama was not a front-runner for the Democratic nomination, thus I am reluctant to anoint anyone as the front-runner at this point.”

ICE AND BORDER PATROL ARREST 800 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DURING CHICAGO BLITZ

McLaughlin added that Pritzker would be attending the Carter Lewis Dinner on Friday night in Georgia. 

“I am sure if he is well received, it will get a lot of attention in one of the most important swing states for the presidency,” he said.