This US Governor Won Hearts With 'The Office' Inspired Speech & We Think It's Fun

The graduation ceremony at Northwestern University in Illinois, US, turned into a memorable and entertaining event when Governor JB Pritzker delivered a speech inspired by the hit sitcom, The Office. Pritzker added humour by advising students on how to spot an idiot, subtly poking fun at former President Donald Trump without mentioning his name. Little did Pritzker know, Steve Carell, the actor who portrayed the iconic character Michael Scott in The Office, was among the attendees, celebrating his daughter’s graduation.

The viral video was shared on Twitter by business analyst Darren Rovell, he wrote, “College graduation speeches are often evergreen. They can be given at any time, similar from decade to decade. Which is why Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s “How To Spot An Idiot” at Northwestern’s graduation is so genius. It is the speech for TODAY.”

During his address to the graduates, JB Pritzker quoted Dwight Schrute from The Office. He said, “Whenever I’m about to do something I think ‘would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.”

Pritzker expressed his desire for a foolproof method to identify idiots but highlighted, “Some idiots are very smart. They can dazzle you with words and misdirection. They can get promoted above you at work. They can even get elected president.” Pritzker shared the importance of developing one’s own idiot detection system to be successful in this world.

The video has crossed over 2 million views, and social media users praised the governor for his captivating speech.

One user called it ‘outstanding advice’ for graduates. Another described it as a “very intelligent and timely speech.”

A user shared that it was one of the best commencement speeches they had heard in a long time.

Interestingly, JB Pritzker, the governor who delivered the speech at Northwestern University, obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the same university in 1993.