Gov. Pritzker Convenes Roundtable After One Year of Trump’s Destructive Policies
One year after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Illinoisans experience wide-ranging negative impacts
January 20, 2026
CHICAGO — Today, Governor JB Pritzker visited HAIBAYÔ Café in Chicago’s Asia on Argyle corridor to meet with a university graduate student, an early childhood center director, a public health worker, a medical professional, a working mother, and a businessowner to learn how Donald Trump’s policies have affected the everyday lives of Illinoisans.
“One year ago today, the President stood in Washington, took his oath, and made promises to the American people. Twelve months later, those promises lie broken while working families pay the price,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As Trump causes destruction across the country, Illinois is standing up for working families against unprecedented federal overreach, fighting for funding that is owed to our people, and spearheading our own efforts to make life more affordable for families.”
During the roundtable conversation, participants discussed how Trump Administration policies have impacted their lives, highlighting the uncertainty caused by Trump’s cuts to university research funding, the increased costs of doing business due to Trump’s tariffs, the negative impacts on childcare providers and families already struggling to make ends meet, insurance costs skyrocketing as Trump and Congressional Republicans allow ACA premium tax credits to expire, and the fear and destruction caused by Trump’s federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz.
After 365 days of the second Trump Administration, it’s clear that Trump’s promises have gone unfulfilled, and his own personal agenda has taken center stage — all at the expense of the American people. From rising grocery costs and crushing tariffs to skyrocketing healthcare premiums and deadly immigration enforcement tactics, people across Illinois and the nation are paying the price for the federal government’s chaos. And when the Trump Administration threatens massive funding cuts to behavioral health services and childcare, it stokes fear for millions of children and families.
While the Trump Administration disregards the rule of law, ignores the needs of working families nationwide, and shirks any sense of basic decency, Governor Pritzker continues to fight for every Illinoisan in these increasingly turbulent times.
In stark contrast to Trump’s agenda, Governor Pritzker has prioritized making life more affordable and worked to hold the Trump Administration accountable for federal overreach. The Governor has:
- Delivered a $15/hour minimum wage for Illinois workers, while the federal minimum wage hasn’t moved an inch in 16 years.
- Expanded healthcare access, capped insulin prices, and erased millions in medical debt.
- Invested millions in childcare and early childhood programs, increased K-12 funding by over $2 billion, and celebrated the highest public university enrollment in a decade — showcasing a commitment to Illinoisans from cradle to career.
- Supported farmers by mobilizing state support amid Trump’s tariffs.
- Championed tangible affordability efforts, from reducing prescription drug costs to lowering utility bills.
- Stood against the Trump Administration’s attacks on Illinoisans’ basic liberties, signing legislation to protect immigrant communities and seeking accountability from federal immigration agents.
- Signed key legislation that empowers the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to offer vaccine guidance through the Immunization Advisory Committee (IAC), defending science-based public health policy as the Trump Administration peddles harmful misinformation.
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