Former Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich decried former President Donald Trump’s indictment and arrest as the “apocalypse of our democracy.”
Blagojevich, a Democrat, was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after spending eight years in prison on corruption charges. The former governor appeared on Fox News to defend the man that pardoned him. He bashed the Manhattan district attorney’s case against Trump, drawing parallels with his own indictment.
DONALD TRUMP ARREST: FORMER PRESIDENT NOT DUE IN COURT UNTIL DECEMBER
“I think this is the apocalypse of our democracy,” Blagojevich said. “They’re doing to a Republican president, the major league level, what they did to me, a Democrat governor, at the Triple-A level. I went to prison for things that are not crimes. They’re charging President Trump with things that are not crimes.”
He went on to specifically target Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, arguing that he should be thrown in prison.
“One positive thing I suppose you could say about the DA over there, Bragg, is that he keeps his campaign promises. Here’s a guy who ran on a campaign promise to charge President Trump. The other thing you can say about him is he’s violating his oath of office and destroying the Constitution and the rule of law,” he continued.
“And if anybody who ought to be going to prison or charged with crimes for this episode ought to be that DA. These weaponized, uncontrolled, corrupt prosecutors are going to destroy our democracy, steal our freedoms, and take from us, we the people, our right to choose our own leaders and elections,” he added.
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Blagojevich, who served as governor from 2003 to 2009, was impeached and removed from office in a unanimous vote from the Illinois Senate. He was accused of trying to sell state Sen. Barack Obama’s vacant seat after he won the presidency. He was then indicted by a grand jury, convicted, and sentenced to 14 years in prison. His sentence was commuted by Trump during the president’s final year in office. Blagojevich had served eight years. The former governor maintains his innocence.
Trump was arrested and arraigned on Tuesday. He was charged with 34 counts of business fraud.
