Olson: If Trump comes for Pritzker, he comes for all of us

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker declared on a public stage in Minneapolis on Tuesday that they expect to be jailed by President Donald Trump.

The two allied Democratic governors were interviewed together at the Walker Art Center as the keynote speakers at the Minnesota Star Tribune’s North Star Summit, a daylong gathering and discussion of ideas for leaders and rising stars in business, sports, the arts and philanthropy.

The audience chuckled lightly in the dark theater as Pritzker continued with a joke: “I’m asking any of you to come visit me in the gulag.”

But think about this for a moment, and it’s no joke. Two Democratic governors saying they expect to be imprisoned by the president — not for illegal acts but for their defiance of Trump’s authoritarian aims.

Did Walz or Pritzker explain why the president might have reason to imprison or jail them? No. Because there is no legitimate reason. If there were, Trump would have been the first to tell us.

Like Pritzker, Walz also made a joke about being targeted by Trump. The Minnesota governor said he was confused as to why he was higher than Pritzker on the president’s enemies list given that P comes before W in the alphabet.

Walz shrugged and the audience, again, reacted with light chuckles. Gallows humor aside, the moment calls for a more full-throated reaction.

Here were two legally elected, second-term Midwestern governors announcing on a public stage that they expect to be arrested and imprisoned by the current president for no reason other than political disagreement.

This, as Walz said repeatedly, is not normal.

It is sickening. It is unconscionable.

The president, apparently, was referencing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers seeding confusion and fear on the streets of Chicago. Pritzker is fighting their incursion in the courts.

Did Trump or his administration coordinate the deployment of federal agents with the governor or the mayor? No.

Pritzker confirmed on Tuesday that he had been told to expect a call from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday. Pritzker cleared his calendar, but the call never came.

As I write, neither Johnson nor Pritzker has been arrested. I hope that remains true now, as you’re reading. But I expect Trump’s next step at some time in the near future will be to demand their arrests.

Thankfully, Trump’s threats only served to make Pritzker more defiant. In one interview, he told Trump to “Come and get me.”

Trump hasn’t come for Walz yet, but the governors agreed Tuesday that no political rival will be marked safe from Trump’s targeting.

The endgame is intimidation and Trump’s desire to rule as a dictator, unfettered by the laws of our nation. He wants to remain in charge and unchecked by Congress.

Acquiescent Republicans control both the U.S. House and Senate. If they lose either chamber in 2026, Trump loses a lot of his power.

Pritzker explained that he expects to see heavily armed and masked federal agents outside polling places in Democratic cities in November 2026.

The agents will be prepared to seize control of ballot boxes and declare themselves the victors, Pritzker said.

Pritzker and Walz said they expect Trump to use whatever means necessary to maintain a grip on power and to seek an unconstitutional third term for himself.

After all, Walz noted that Trump isn’t building a ballroom at the White House for a Democrat successor to enjoy; Trump’s building it because he’s settling in as a long-term strongman.

Locking up political rivals is straight from the authoritarian handbook. Trump isn’t just mouthing off, he’s telling us he wants to arrest and silence his rivals.

We can’t allow it.

From the Walker stage, Pritzker talked about the need to stand up tall to illegal and immoral actions. He spoke about the importance of bystanders becoming upstanders who are willing to risk their own liberty and safety for others.

Illinois has three Republican House members. Minnesota has four, including U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the House majority whip.

Now is the time for any and all of these Republicans to stand the hell up. The governors of their states, elected by the same voters who sent them to Congress, feel threatened by the president.