Billionaire Democratic Gov. Pritzker defends his wealth as party rails against the rich
Zohran Mamdani told NBC's Welker in June that the US shouldn't have billionaires
By Hanna Panreck Fox News
Published August 10, 2025 6:00pm EDT
Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., was pressed by NBC's Kristen Welker on his billionaire status as other members of the Democratic Party, including New York City mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani, continue to rail against billionaires.
"Some in your party are openly questioning whether billionaires such as yourself should exist at all, governor," Welker said before she played a clip of Mamdani saying the United States shouldn't have billionaires.
Welker asked the Democratic governor if the party should be embracing an anti-billionaire message.
"Look, how much money you have doesn’t determine what your values are, and I’m a Democrat because I believe that everyone deserves health care. I’m a Democrat because I believe we’ve got to fund education and have a free public education available to every kid in this country. I’m a Democrat because I believe that we’ve got to stand up for our democracy and against the MAGA Republicans who are literally trying to take away people’s rights around this country. It does not matter what your income level is, what matters is what your values are and that’s what makes me a Democrat," Pritzker responded.
Other liberals, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have also been vocal in criticizing billionaires. Sanders has been touring the country on a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour since President Donald Trump took office.
Sanders started the tour to "take on the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country."
Other Democrats, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have spoken out in favor of increasing taxes on billionaires.
Warren fiercely defended Mamdani's plan to increase taxes on billionaires should he be elected mayor during an interview on CNBC earlier this week.
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