Pritzker dismisses ex-DC police officer's call for Americans to use Second Amendment to protect against ICE

Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., on Sunday dismissed a call from former D.C. police officer Michael Fanone - who was injured during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot - urging Americans to use their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

CNN's Jake Tapper played a clip on "State of the Union" featuring Fanone on The Lincoln Square's "Protect and Serve" podcast, where he appeared to urge Americans to use guns to defend themselves against ICE following the shooting in Minneapolis.

"It's time for the American people to organize and to utilize their Second Amendment right to protect themselves from what is clearly become an unaccountable and lawless agency that's killing Americans," Fanone told host Maya May on the podcast.

Fanone also said he didn't need to hear calls from police to protest peacefully and added, "F--- you and f--- that."

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After the clip, Tapper asked for Pritzker's reaction. 

"Well, violence is inappropriate in all of these situations," Pritzker said. "And indeed, I've told the protesters - who are, in fact, the vast majority are peaceful protesters - keep the violence out of it. Make sure you're peacefully protesting, be loud for America, but make sure you're not providing any excuse for the administration to try to send in National Guard."

He noted that Illinois has won legal cases so far to prevent National Guard troops from being sent to the state.

"We've won in our cases, but it's in part because we haven't created any situations in which an insurrection or rebellion looks like it's taking place," Pritzker continued. "Our protesters are doing the right thing, and we shouldn't have any talk of people bringing guns and matching force by civilians with law enforcement. What we need is for law enforcement at the federal level to back off, do their job, follow the protocols, do the right thing."

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During the first hour of the expanded special edition of "State of the Union," Bryan Lanza - a former senior advisor to the Trump 2024 campaign - addressed Fanone's comments.

"CNN's favorite policeman, Michael Fanone. He's talking about, you know, people using guns against ICE enforcement to deal with these situations. All that's happening on the left is truly an escalation. I think it needs to stop," Lanza said.

Tapper noted that Fanone no longer works for CNN, while Lanza called his remarks "despicable."

"He's literally asking for a confrontation with law enforcement and citizens - a gun exchange," Lanza added.

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Fanone criticized Tapper during an interview in November, specifically calling out Tapper over his book, "Original Sin," about former President Joe Biden.

"Tapper's just kind of like a clown. I mean he always struck me as, you know, he's kind of like an opportunist. He's very much JD Vance-ish," Fanone told Tommy Christopher in a Substack interview. "In that I just kind of felt like he goes wherever he sees mobility, upward mobility for himself and, you know, an opportunity."

He similarly took issue with CNN about hosting a town hall with then-candidate Donald Trump in 2024.