Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA,

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, one of President Joe Biden’s most vocal defenders when the former president faced questions about his mental acuity, is now claiming President Donald Trump has dementia.

Pritzker made the remarks during a June 29 interview with CNN host Caitlin Collins while discussing Trump’s criticism of democratic socialism.

Trump had argued that socialism represents a similar threat to the country than historical crises.

“The man is continually suffering from dementia. I don’t think he really understands what he’s saying,” Pritzker stated, providing no evidence for his claim.

Pritzker’s comments mark a stark contrast from how he defended Biden during the 2024 presidential campaign, when questions about the former president’s mental fitness intensified.

Pritzker served as one of Biden’s fiercest campaign surrogates and even sat on his national advisory board.

For instance, when Special Counsel Robert Hur raised concerns about Biden’s memory, Pritzker quickly went on the defensive, going as far as accusing Hur of being politically motivated.

“I’ve been with the President of the United States many times. He is on the ball. The man knows more than most of us have forgotten,” Pritzker claimed in February 2024.

In 2023, ahead of the presidential election, Pritzker downplayed questions about Biden’s fitness for office, praising him as “a gem of a human” while describing Trump as “cruel, cowardly and small.”

Pritzker doubled down on his backing of Biden even after the former president’s disastrous performance in the 2024 presidential debate.

“Listen: Joe Biden is our nominee. I am for Joe Biden,” the Illinois governor claimed. “I’ve been campaigning for Joe Biden. I think you’ve seen I’ve got dates scheduled to go to Indiana, to Ohio for Joe Biden.”

Pritzker’s attacks are in line with a broader Democratic strategy of weaponizing Trump’s age after years of dismissing concerns about Biden, despite mounting video evidence.