Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich had kind words for President Trump after he commuted his prison sentence for attempting to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
“President Trump is the one who did this, and I’m … profoundly grateful,” Blagojevich broke his silence on the commutation while speaking to reporters at the Denver International Airport on Tuesday. “He’s got, obviously, a big fan in me, and if you’re asking me what my party affiliation is, I’m a Trumpocrat.”
Rod Blagojevich: “He’s [Pres. Trump] got a obviously a big fan in me. If you’re asking what my party affiliation is… I’m a Trumpocrat.” pic.twitter.com/ztVuNuCQYq
— Haleigh Hoffman (@HaleighHoffman) February 19, 2020
Blagojevich, 63, had served eight years of his 14-year prison sentence following his conviction on corruption charges when the president commuted his sentence on Tuesday.
“Yes, we commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich. He served eight years in jail, a long time. He seems like a very nice person, don’t know him,” Trump explained his decision. The president has long believed the sentence was too long, calling it “outrageous” in 2012.
Blagojevich was surprised to learn about his sentence commutation, having no advance notice that it was going to happen. The former governor said he plans on using his experience in prison to reform a system “that all too often persecutes and prosecutes people who did nothing wrong, who over-sentence people, who show no mercy.”
“They can put you into prison for things that aren’t crimes,” he said, adding that the U.S. criminal justice system is “broken,” “unfair,” and “racist.”
[Opinion: Trump’s very swampy commutation of Rod Blagojevich’s sentence]
