Happy Wednesday, Illinois. Before your mind wanders to pies and last-minute escape plans, here’s a round-up of news to fuel your Thanksgiving table talk.

🦃 PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’re off Thursday and Friday for the holiday, returning to your inbox Monday.

POULTRY POLITICS: What’s typically a feather-light White House tradition turned into something closer to a Chicago crime presser Wednesday, as President Donald Trump used the annual turkey pardon to unload on Gov. JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and crime in Chicago.

Trump centered his remarks on the recent horrifying CTA attack in which a man allegedly doused a woman with gasoline and set her on fire on a Blue Line train. According to a court filing, the suspect has 72 prior arrests over three decades — including 15 since 2016 — and was out on a curfew-only release at the time of the attack after a judge removed his electronic monitoring “over the objection of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office,” per ABC 7.

Using the case to reignite his long-running feud with Illinois leaders, Trump told guests at the White House: “You saw … the woman with the burning. … A man was arrested 72 times. Seventy-two times. Think of that. And they’ll let him out again. The liberal judges will let him out again.”

Trump also laced his remarks with personal insults. He referred to Johnson as “a low IQ person” and called Pritzker a “fat slob” — while insisting he doesn’t comment on people’s weight.

Trump’s comments intensified scrutiny in Illinois, where questions have been raised about whether the SAFE-T Act needs adjustments. The law allows judges to release most defendants before trial — or detain them if prosecutors prove the individuals pose a public safety risk. In this instance, a judge rejected prosecutors’ concerns.

Trump argues the episode shows Illinois needs federal help addressing crime — and that Pritzker is blocking that assistance of the National Guard, whose deployment to Illinois was blocked by a federal judge.

To make his point, Trump directed his comments to Pritzker: “Governor Pritzker, if you’re listening, let’s get your act together. Invite us in. We’re going to make your place so safe. You’re not going to have these crimes that are making the front page of every newspaper and television story.”

A counterattack: Pritzker didn’t respond but issued his own Thanksgiving message, saying: “President Donald Trump is ruining Americans’ Thanksgiving dinners with soaring prices this holiday season. Instead of focusing on quality time together, families are being forced to worry about rising costs, driven by the Trump administration’s nonsensical tariffs and damaging economic policies,” according to a statement.

RELATED

The family of Bethany MaGee, the Blue Line burn victim, has launched a GoFundMe, via the Tribune

HO HO HO: Mercury Public Affairs kept up the holiday tradition started by Serafin & Associates, hosting a holiday kickoff celebration at Butch McGuire’s last night — it’s a 33-year tradition. The two firms merged last year, and the event reflected that spirit of unity.

A highlight of the evening saw Mercury partner Cheri Bustos and Serafin founder Thom Serafin singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

In the room were numerous candidates for public office, including the top three U.S. Senate candidates Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Juliana Stratton, and former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who drew a line for selfies with the crowd.

Also in the room: Mercury President John Gallagher (who flew in from New York,), Congressman Mike Quigley, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, state Reps. La Shawn Ford and Ryan Spain, state Sen. Sue Rezin, Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, Alds. William Hall and Anthony Quezada, Circuit Court Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos, Judge Ray Mitchell, RTA Chair Kirk Dillard, former Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, Chicago mayor Senior Adviser Jason Lee, GOP governor candidate Rick Heidner, former State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Strategia CEO Lissa Druss, Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ Donovan Pepper, businessman Ashvin Lad, consultant Frank Calabrese, former Illinois Chamber CEO Lou Sandoval, Illinois Department of Insurance’s Laura Kotelman and media folks, including Tribune’s Greg Pratt, Chris Jones and Rick Pearson, NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern, blogger John Kass, Fox 32’s Paris Schutz and Dane Placko and WGN 9’s Ben Bradley.

If you are John Gallagher, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: [email protected]

No official public events

Distributing food at the Safer Foundation at noon — At Evening Star Ministries at 1 p.m. — At Marillac St Vincent at 4 p.m. — And at 2510 East 106th Street at 5:30 p.m. for the Thanksgiving Light in the Night event

No official public events

Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email: [email protected]

— Chicago city employee charged with threatening state Sen. Andrew Chesney in emails: “Joseph Haggerty admitted to being angry a lot lately, especially about politics, and that he believed it was likely his anger that got the best of him, resulting in an email to Chesney,” a conservative Republican from Freeport, according to a police report, via the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner.

— A WARM FUZZY: In an era often defined by division, the town of Cairo, offered a different kind of headline this week. At the annual Thanksgiving meal distribution, state Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a Democrat, and state Rep. Dale Fowler, a Republican, stood side by side once again, proving that public service can rise above party lines.

For nine years, they’ve returned to this small community, bringing 200 turkeys, canned goods and boxes of donuts to families in need.

“This is not about politics, it’s not about partisanship. … We’ve become really close friends because of that,” said Fowler. The Southern’s Paul Wilcoxen has the full story.

Bipartisanship can be spotted across the state — including at the top. GOP Senate Leader John Curran reached out to Senate President Don Harmon about issuing a joint statement after the murder of Charlie Kirk, and their staffs worked together to finalize it.

Democratic state Sen. Lakesia Collins and Republican state Rep. Seth Lewis are among those who stay connected across the aisle. Collins also appreciates the Illinois Farm Bureau’s “Adopt a Legislator” program, which pairs Democrats like her with Republicans in rural districts.

And then there’s the Boat Drink Caucus — a band of Democratic and Republican lawmakers who once played at Gov. Bruce Rauner’s inaugural ball and continue to perform, albeit sporadically.

Do you have a bipartisan story to tell? Email [email protected]

— Deposition of Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino went off the rails at hello, transcript shows, via the Tribune

— A criminal probe tied to Chicago woman’s shooting by Border Patrol agent continues, feds say, by the Tribune’s Jason Meisner

— North Carolina Republicans worry about Trump immigration raids, by POLITICO’s Myah Ward and Elena Schneider

— In IL-07: Dr. Thomas Fisher, a Democrat running for Congress in the 7th District, has pledged not to accept contributions from corporate political action committees. By signing on with End Citizens United, he’s also pledging to ban congressional stock trading and crack down on dark money in elections, according to his campaign.

— In IL-07: Reed Showalter glitter bombs anti-LGBTQ+ Christian group: “The Democratic candidate, who is straight, had a hilarious response to an anti-trans candidate survey from the Illinois Family Institute,” writes the Advocate’s Ryan Adamczeski.

— In IL-02: State Sen. Robert Peters has been endorsed by the Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600 in his bid for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District.

— In IL-09: Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss has been endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC in his race for Congress in the 9th Congressional District, via Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie.

— Cook County race: Drake Warren has been endorsed by former Alds. James Cappleman and Dick Simpson in his campaign for Cook County commissioner in the 10th District.

— Illinois joins in suing the Trump administration over cuts to homeless permanent housing funding, by POLITICO’s Katherine Hapgood

— Budzinski intervenes in local housing dispute on behalf of low-income residents, by Capitol News’ Maggie Dougherty. More from the State Journal-Register’s Tom Ackerman

— Affordable housing push for first-time buyers on the West Side is seeing early results: “A program backed by more than 20 organizations is looking provide a smoother path to homeownership — focusing on East Garfield Park and Humboldt Park, where the disparity in homeownership is striking compared to other neighborhoods,” by the Sun-Times’ Abby Miller.

— Chicago home prices staying strong as other cities weaken, by Crain’s Dennis Rodkin

— When the Sausage King of Chicago bought a South Side housing complex: “The landlord has gotten millions in federal rent subsidies even as tenants complain about years of poor maintenance and deplorable conditions,” by WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang and Amy Qin.

— Debts owed to City Hall rise $1B since early in Mayor Johnson’s term, money his budget could sure use, by the Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout and Tim Novak

— DuPage County Clerk censured by county board: The board cites Jean Kaczmarek’s “refusal to comply with standard accounting procedures, budgeting policies and state bidding laws as reasons for the censure,” reports the Daily Herald’s Alicia Fabbre

— Audit to examine credit card spending in School District 214 after former employee charged with misuse, by the Daily Herald’s Christopher Placek

— Juan Rangel, CEO of The Urban Center, celebrated his 60th birthday the other day by rolling out a red carpet (literally) at Grapes & Grains Piano Lounge in the West Loop. Among the notables in the crowded room: Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, activist Ja’Mal Green and entrepreneur Joe Holberg — all mentioned as potential mayoral candidates in 2027 — as well as former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas.

We asked what the most untraditional food item is on your Thanksgiving table.

Veronica Arreola : “My mom’s pineapple casserole. There is an annual debate whether it is a side dish or dessert.”

Dan Balanoff: “The Balanoffs always make Bulgarian Banitsa. Spinach and feta, apples and walnuts (Tom’s favorite), and beef and onions, all in buttery phyllo dough.”

Randy Bukas: “Kugelis. It’s a Lithuanian potato dish.”

Eli Brottman: “A lentil loaf.”

Daniel Goldwin: “A sweet lokshen kugel, a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish noodle dish.”

Mark Heffington: “Roasted racoon (with potatoes, carrots and onions) and marinated beef tongue. Both are delicious, and there is never any leftovers.”

Charles Keller: “Vegan Haggis.”

Mitch Macknin: “Pickles.”

Ed Mazur: “Stuffed kishke.”

JuanPablo Prieto: “Colombian empanadas.”

Alison Pure-Slovin: “Kishke, a type of stuffed sausage or derma.”

Michael Stokke: “Oyster dressing, a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe.”

Timothy Thomas: “A turkey that is cautiously deep-fried, not roasted.”

Next question: What’s your game plan for getting through the holidays?

— Michelle Obama on East Wing demolition: ‘I felt a loss for us as a nation’, by The Washington Post’s Brianna Tucker

— James Comer airs doubts about his own Epstein investigation, by POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs

— Trump opens the door to Obamacare subsidy extension, by POLITICO’s Cheyenne Haslett and Sophie Gardner

— Cities are in a new cycle of changing who runs schools. Are they just running in place? By Chalkbeat’s Erica Meltzer

— Liam Stanton, a tech entrepreneur eyeing a run for Chicago mayor in 2027, and his wife, Jackie, are parents this week of a baby girl, Mary Miller Stanton. We hear mom and baby are healthy. Pic!

— Tony Guida is now VP of the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council. He was the council’s senior director. He’s also president of Carpenters Local 1 in Chicago.

TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Chicago Ald. Jason Ervin for correctly answering that Willie Thrower was the first Black quarterback to play for the modern NFL when he played one game for the Bears in 1953. Worth noting that Fritz Pollard played in an early version of the NFL in 1923.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Who’s the mayor who started Chicago’s holiday train caravan, which evolved into an annual parade? Email: [email protected].

Today: State Senate President Don Harmon, lobbyist and former state Rep. Lou Lang, Mac Strategies Group’s Ryan McLaughlin, RTA Government Affairs Director Rob Nash, Cresco Labs EVP John Sullivan, entrepreneur and former CPS CEO Ron Huberman, Brightpoint Chief External Affairs Officer Paula Corrigan-Halpern and e-Drop-Off founder Corri McFadden

Thursday: 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman and congressional candidate Bruce Leon, attorney and Palatine Township Clerk Christine Svenson, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Government Affairs Director Jose Sanchez Molina, Cor Strategies Operations Marshal Ryan Kilduff, economist Charles Manski, educator Ted Wanberg and journalist Robert Reed

Friday: Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, Executive Ethics Commission’s Patty Schuh, not-for-profit and political fundraiser Lisa Wagner, After School Matters Senior Director of Marketing and Comms Michael Crowley, PR pro Judy Pardonnet Hilkevitch and John Straus, former head of Illinois Commission on Science & Technology

Saturday: Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former state Sen. Natalie Toro, Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association Executive Director Dan Kovats, Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter Jr., Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ Donovan Pepper and Roberts Enterprise Development Fund CEO Maria Kim

Sunday: government affairs pro Michael Reever, Redwood City, California, comms pro Nick Mathiowdis and PR pro Nick Harkin

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