Rod Blagojevich Urges Americans to Vote Republican, Citing 'Socialist Hijacking' of Democratic Party

Rod Blagojevich, the former Democratic Governor of Illinois whose prison sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump, is now urging Americans to vote Republican, asserting that the Democratic Party has been "been hijacked by socialists." Blagojevich, who served time for corruption related to the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama, made these remarks on Sunday during an appearance on the "Cats Roundtable" radio program.

Blagojevich, who now describes himself as a "Trump-O-Crat," expressed his strong disapproval of the current direction of the Democratic Party, stating, "It's not the Democratic Party anymore. It's a socialist party." He specifically criticized figures like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom he characterized as a socialist. Blagojevich's comments were made in the context of discussing his new book, "Framed, F*cked, and Freed: A Governor’s Odyssey."

"If you want Mamdamis all across America, then stay home and allow the Democrats to win the midterm elections," Blagojevich said, referring to the mayor. "But if you want to make our country great again, and protect it from people who would destroy our country, then get out there and vote for Republicans," he advised host John Catsimatidis.

Blagojevich also revisited the circumstances surrounding his conviction, suggesting that former President Obama played a role in his downfall. He claimed that an emissary of Obama's approached him about filling the Senate seat, leading to a political deal that was subsequently criminalized. "None of it would have happened if [Obama] didn’t send someone to meet [me] to make a political deal, which was criminalized in my case," Blagojevich stated. "Obama should have stood up for the rule of law... But he didn’t."

He further elaborated, "He spent eight years in the White House. I spent eight years in the big house. I laugh about it now, but you’d have to say … that Obama had a better eight years than me."

However, Obama has previously maintained that he never discussed any pay-to-play arrangements with Blagojevich regarding the Senate seat. In 2008, Obama stated, "I have not discussed the Senate seat with the governor at any time."

Blagojevich's 14-year sentence for political corruption was commuted by President Trump in 2020. Blagojevich suggested that his book offers a more favorable view of Trump, attributing tax cuts on tips and overtime to his presidency, which he believes benefited the working class.

During the radio interview, host Catsimatidis reportedly suggested that Blagojevich consider running for mayor of Chicago.