Governor JB Pritzker is up for reelection in 2022, and he joined The 21st to talk about COVID-19, climate change, criminal justice, and threats to American democracy.

In December 2021, there was written evidence from former White House lawyers and the former chief of staff to then-President Donald J. Trump about attempting to use the military to overturn the results of the election and keep Trump in power. The 21st was joined by a political scientist and professor to tackle the question of why the U.S. has been characterized as a "backsliding democracy" and if it can be saved.