Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) said Sunday that a White House staffer called and “yelled” at him over the weekend after he criticized the federal government in a Saturday tweet for crowds at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Pritzker called for the government to increase U.S. customs officers at airports in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” after President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE's order for travel to be suspended from Europe this week over the spread of coronavirus led to chaos at the Chicago airport. He also called for the federal government to increase the number of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials to be present at airports.

“They did neither of those. So last night, as people were flooding into O’Hare airport, they were stuck in a small area, hundreds and hundreds of people, and that’s exactly what you don’t want in this pandemic. So we had that problem, and then today, it’s going to be even worse. There are a larger number of flights with more people coming, and they seem completely unprepared,” Pritzker said Sunday.

ADVERTISEMENT

“So you have not gotten any reassurance from customs officials that they’re going to have more folks on hand today?” host Chuck Todd Charles (Chuck) David ToddSunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response Strzok: 'I continue to believe that Donald Trump is compromised by the Russians' GOP chair defends Trump messaging on masks: 'To say that he should have known then what we know now isn't really fair' MORE asked the governor.

“Well here’s what I got. I got a call at about 11 o'clock last night after that tweet from a White House staffer who yelled at me about the tweet. That is what I got,” Pritzker responded.

“Now, we’ve been talking to Customs and Border Patrol officials directly on the ground at O’Hare. I’ve been working with the mayor and our senators to make sure that we’re getting the federal government to pay attention to this problem, because we can’t have it happen all day today,” he continued.

WATCH: After major crowds at airports last night, @GovPritzker says today will be "even worse" because of lack of federal response.



"At about 11 o'clock last night ... I got a call from a White House staffer who yelled at me about [my] tweet. That is what I got." pic.twitter.com/Bk4JdjIf6Z — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 15, 2020

Todd also told Pritzker that National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci “seemed to say, ‘Look, that is what’s going to happen when you come back into this country.’”

“I have enormous respect for Dr. Fauci, but that’s just incorrect. We knew when the president gave the orders that European travel back to the United States was going to be cut off, that there would be an influx of people, Americans and others, that would come before the final cutoff,” Pritzker said.

The Illinois governor tweeted Saturday, “The crowds & lines O’Hare are unacceptable & need to be addressed immediately. @realDonaldTrump @VP since this is the only communication medium you pay attention to—you need to do something NOW. These crowds are waiting to get through customs which is under federal jurisdiction.”

“The federal government needs to get its s@#t together. NOW,” he also tweeted, amid reports that passengers at O’Hare were waiting for up to four hours amid long lines and congestion for travelers returning to the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

The crowds & lines O’Hare are unacceptable & need to be addressed immediately.@realDonaldTrump @VP since this is the only communication medium you pay attention to—you need to do something NOW.



These crowds are waiting to get through customs which is under federal jurisdiction — Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) March 15, 2020

The federal government needs to get its s@#t together. NOW. — Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) March 15, 2020

"From day one, the Trump Administration’s interactions with state and local officials has been unprecedented, including in-person meetings, telephone calls, and briefings. Those communications have only increased since the first of the year as the federal government works in close partnership with governors and mayors across the country to protect the public health," White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement to The Hill.

--This report was updated on March 17 at 7:11 a.m.