'The Democratic Party has left us': Rod Blagojevich says he's a 'Trumpocrat' and that he REGRETS endorsing Barack Obama just days after the president freed him from prison

• e-mail

Disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has come out as a ‘Trumpocrat’ and slammed his party, the Democrats, just days after his prison sentence was commuted by the president.

‘Blago’, who was convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat after he was elected president, served eight year of a 14-year prison sentence that was commuted by President Trump.

Since his release from prison, he has emerged as a vocal supporter of the current president and a critic of his former party, which he says ‘abandoned’ American workers as well as African Americans.

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (left) slammed his former party, the Democrats, and now says he's a 'Trumpocrat' just days after he was freed from prison when President Trump (right) commuted his sentence

Blagojevich (seen left with then-Senator Barack Obama (center) of Illinois and Mayor Richard M. Daley in Chicago in 2008) says that the Democrats have failed African Americans and that he regrets being the first governor to endorse Obama for president

Blagojevich also says he now regrets endorsing Obama for the presidency. 

‘President Obama was elected in 2008,’ the former governor told Breitbart.

‘Here’s something I’ll plead guilty to: I was the first governor to endorse him,’ Blagojevich said.

‘That I did, and it was wrong - but at the time I thought it was right.

‘Obama’s election if you really think about it was based very little on detail.

‘It was based on his themes “hope and change.”

‘People were sick and tired of the usual baloney in politics and fake solutions dressed up as solutions but they’re not real.’ 

‘When I say I’m a Trumpocrat - and hopefully a lot of others are as well, and I believe they are - it’s largely because the Democratic Party has not only left us but it’s abandoned traditional Democratic constituencies like working people, factory workers like my father an immigrant who came to America and spent all of his time here as a working man working in a steel factory,’ Blagojevich told Breitbart.

‘And also, the Democratic Party has for far too long taken the African American community for granted.’

The former governor says that in recent decades the Democratic leadership has supported policies that led to the mass incarceration of predominantly African Americans.

‘They’ve not only abandoned them, they’ve sold them out when they passed the crime bill in 1994 that President Clinton and Vice President Biden, then-Senator Biden backed and voted for.

‘Our senator here, Senator Durbin, voted for it.

‘It’s a bill that led to the mass incarceration of a whole new generation of African American men for nonviolent first-time drug offenses, over-sentencing them and then putting them in a position where they can have no opportunity whatsoever to begin a new life after correcting the mistakes that they made and paying their debts to society, frankly, for the crimes that they committed.

‘President Trump, interestingly enough, is speaking to those constituencies in ways that traditional Republicans never did.’

Blagojevich gave Trump credit for ‘revolutionizing American politics’ through his economic policies as well as his reforms of the criminal justice system.

Most notably, Trump last year signed into law the First Step Act, which aims to reduce the sentences of low-level offenders and bolster programs to help reduce high rates of recidivism.

Blagojevich thinks that Trump could siphon off votes from the African American community, which overwhelmingly has supported the Democrats, thanks to the initiative.

‘He’s re-aligning politics in America by drawing from those traditional Democratic constituency groups, the factory worker that used to work in a factory that’s gone because of the 1994 NAFTA bill that President Clinton signed sending all those jobs away,’ the former governor says.

Blagojevich (pictured outside his Chicago home after being freed by Trump) has not practiced law since 1994, and is now expected to have his license permanently withdrawn

‘President Trump is bringing them back in places like western Pennsylvania and Michigan and Wisconsin and southern Illinois - the rust belt states.’ 

Blagojevich said that mainstream, centrist Democrats have failed, which is why he claims many in his party are gravitating toward Trump and, to a lesser extent, Senator Bernie Sanders.

‘President Trump has filled that vacuum,’ Blagojevich said.

‘That’s absolutely right. That’s what’s going on.

‘You see it, frankly, even with Bernie Sanders and his supporters.

‘He’s taken positions and views and he’s offered solutions to the problems that I think frankly are unworkable.

‘History proves that socialism never works, and actually is counter-productive.

‘But at least Bernie Sanders is actually talking about identifying some of the problems that are facing our country.

The former Illinois governor has said he is keen to find a job following his release, while offering to record personalized messages for $115-a-time on app Cameo

‘Now, President Trump on the other hand is not only addressing those issues but he’s now the president and he’s actually achieving things and providing real, meaningful solutions that are leading to an economy that is booming because of the very things he has done whether it’s the tax cuts, reducing the regulations, and these trade deals - all are absolutely long overdue.’   

Blagojevich's comments come days after his home state voted to disbar him, preventing him from practicing law.

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission voted on Tuesday to strip the 63-year-old Blagojevich of his license over corrupt schemes he ran while in office. 

The board's decision will now go to the state Supreme Court for final approval. Blagojevich can appeal, but he is unlikely to succeed. 

In its four-page decision, the panel noted that Blagojevich sought to 'further his own interests' as governor despite his oath of office and that he 'has not acknowledged that his conduct was wrongful or expressed any remorse.' 

The panel also noted that Blagojevich failed to appear for his disciplinary hearing on February 25, saying it demonstrated 'a lack of respect for the disciplinary process and the legal profession.'

Blagojevich's spokesman, Mark Vargas, tweeted a statement from his client on Tuesday in which Blagojevich pointed out that he hasn't practiced law since 1995.

'Imagine yourself sitting on a plane and then the pilot announces before takeoff that he hasn't flown in 25 years,' Blagojevich said. 

'Wouldn't you want to get off that plane? I don't want to hurt anybody.'

Blagojevich graduated from Pepperdine University's law school in 1983 and was admitted to the Illinois bar the next year. 

His only employment in a legal profession came when he worked as an assistant Cook County state's attorney for several years before entering politics. 

Blagojevich served eight years of a 14 year federal prison sentence after being convicted of corruption. His sentence was commuted by President Trump on February 18

Blagojevich's licence has been suspended since he was jailed on charges of corruption in 2011, but the new move would see it permanently revoked.

President Trump commuted Blagojevich's sentence last month after eight years behind bars, allowing him to walk free.

Since then a profile belonging to the former governor has appeared on app Cameo, offering to record personalized messages for $115-a-time.  

Blagojevich's profile on the site describes him as an 'American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois', without mentioning his corrupt past. 

In his introduction video, the 63-year-old says: 'Hey, it's Rod Blagojevich. I'm very excited to connect with you on Cameo. 

'If you want a birthday greeting, an anniversary greeting, motivation or any other kind of shoutout, I can't wait to hear from you.' 

So far, just two people have decided they need Blagojevich to deliver a personalized message for them, however one left a promising 5 Star review with the word, 'Awesome.'

Other high-profile politicians on the site include Anthony 'The Mooch' Scaramucci who was White House communications cirector for 11 days.

Blagojevich (pictured) was first arrested inside his home in 2008 over several accusations, including that he attempted to solicit Barack Obama's Senate seat after he won presidency 

Scaramucci charges $100 for a jovial message from the former comms chief. 

On Fox News last week Blagojevich told how he was keen to get back to work. 

'I need to start working and providing for my family,' he said. He didn't elaborate on the kind of job he is seeking, although clearly with his Cameo pitch, almost nothing is off-limits. 

His options could include becoming a commentator on a cable news channel, where criminal convictions wouldn't necessarily a disqualification. A self-employed podcaster could be another option.

Blagojevich could try to parlay his relative fame into a gig on another reality TV show. Producers might see his sometimes engaging and offbeat character as a draw.

Blagojevich himself mused about dream jobs in the secret recordings of his phone that played central roles at his two corruption trials.

'Why can't I be ambassador to India?' he was heard telling an aide, later adding 'Gotta think I can at least be ambassador to Macedonia.'

Job hunts have seen Blagojevich fall into trouble before.

His expletive-laden talk captured on FBI wiretaps about landing a job or campaign cash for naming someone to Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat is part of what led to his multiple corruption convictions.

In 2008, Blagojevich was arrested inside his home by the FBI and taken before a federal magistrate on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and soliciting bribes while in office.

He was also accused of attempting to profit from soliciting former President Barack Obama's US Senate seat after he left for the White House in 2008.

One month later, Blagojevich was impeached from office by the Illinois House with an astounding vote of 114 to one.

The Senate would remove Blagojevich from his position just weeks later in a 59 to zero vote.

He gave a mercy plea that he 'never, ever intended to violate the law' before senators.

Prosecutors would later add racketeering, fraud and extortion charges to Blagojevich's rap sheet.

Throughout the ordeal, Blagojevich maintained his innocence and denied engaging in any wrongdoing.

A deadlocked jury convicted Blagojevich of just one out of 24 charges and it was later called a mistrial.

In 2011, a retrial would take place that would see Blagojevich convicted of 17 charges and a 14-year sentence in federal prison for extortion, bribery and fraud.

President Trump agreed to commute his prison sentence in February 2020 and he was officially released on the 18th.

'What he did was I think something that deserves a great amount of appreciation on my part personally, and he has from me my deepest, most profound and everlasting gratitude,' Blagojevich said of Trump to reporters.

'I can't wait to get home. I miss my daughters. I miss my wife. I miss home.'     

Blagojevich was sentenced to a 14-year federal prison sentence in Illinois in 2011 (pictured), but his sentence was commuted by President Trump earlier this month