I just stepped outside my home in Chicago after 2,896 days in prison, thanks to President Trump's pardon. I unleashed my anger at the corrupt political machine that tried to erase me, calling out the rigged courts and weaponized prosecutors. I firmly stated, "I NEVER SOLD A SENATE SEAT!" and labeled the charges against me as a political hit job by the Obama-Biden administration. I see parallels with Trump's situation, and I'm ready to fight back against the weaponized justice system. The corrupt elites have failed, and I'm just getting started.
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🚨 BLAGOJEVICH UNLEASHED—PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE HIS HOME AFTER TRUMP PARDON! 🚨
Rod Blagojevich just stepped outside his home in Chicago and TORCHED the corrupt political machine that tried to erase him. 2,896 days in prison, and now he’s free, thanks to President Trump’s full pardon. Standing alongside his wife and daughters, he delivered a SCORCHING rebuke of the rigged courts, weaponized prosecutors, and deep-state thugs who railroaded him.
“I NEVER SOLD A SENATE SEAT!” Blagojevich thundered, slamming the fake charges as a sham political hit job orchestrated by the Obama-Biden crew. The real crime? Daring to negotiate in politics—the same “wheeling and dealing” that Lincoln himself used to pass the 13th Amendment.
And here’s the kicker—they used the SAME tactics against Trump. Fabricated charges. Media smear campaigns. Lawfare. Blagojevich says Trump saw through it all and acted to END the injustice.
Now, Blagojevich isn’t just walking away—he’s DECLARING WAR on the weaponized justice system that’s out to destroy political enemies. He’s got the names, the tapes, the receipts—and he’s ready to EXPOSE IT ALL.
The corrupt elites FAILED. The deep state LOST. Blagojevich is BACK, and this is just the beginning.
VIDEO CREDIT: WGN NEWS
Video Transcript AI Summary
I'm deeply grateful to President Trump for my pardon. He's always helped me without asking for anything in return. My eight years in prison were a nightmare, stemming from false political charges. President Trump recognized the injustice. My family and I will never forget his kindness. This was a political attack, and I maintain my innocence. I never broke any laws. The weaponization of prosecutors for political purposes is a grave constitutional crisis. I’m committed to fighting for justice. I'm writing a book about my experience, a journey from the governor’s mansion to prison. My faith and family sustained me. I plan to continue consulting and writing, and I hope to help President Trump reform our justice system. I haven't decided about running for office again; my wife is against it!
Speaker 0: Okay. Thank you very much. Patty hung you there back. Well, I just have a stickiness. On behalf of my wife, Patty, and our daughters, Amy and Annie, we both together, and our daughters as well wanna express our deepest and most profound and everlasting gratitude to president Trump for what he's done today for the full presidential pardon.
I think about my relation with president Trump, and it's really well, he's always doing things for me, and he never asked me to do anything for him. I had a chance to be on a television show, and, then he ended what was a long, long, hard nightmare. After two thousand eight hundred ninety six days in prison, nearly eight years, president Trump pulled me out of there, and now he did this. And, all I can tell you is that, president Trump is a man who, when he sees things that are wrong, he writes them and puts an end to them. And, Patty and I, Amy and Annie will always be grateful to president Trump and never ever forget his kindness to us.
A long time ago when I was here in this house and Patty and I and our babies were asleep, 06:00 in the morning, we got a phone call. I thought it was a practical joke by my friend, state senator Jimmy Vallejo, telling me they get a warrant for my arrest. It wasn't him. It was the FBI, and that was the beginning of what was and has been a long, hard nightmare for my family and for me. All through through this long, hard process, two trials, eight years in prison, I never ever wavered my determination to prove to the people of Illinois and anybody else who's listening that I broke no laws, crossed no lines, never took a penny.
It was all politics, routine political conversations that were begun by then president-elect Obama who sent an emissary to me to talk about making what this appellate court called a routine political deal when they reversed the so called sale of the senate seat. They were fake charges, and the big lie was told by the prosecutor and his office that did to me and my family what they did. But it's over. President Trump saw what happened, and how interesting understanding between people to sort of understand that something isn't right and something is wrong. Terrible thing that they did to me, a Democrat governor, even worse what they did to a Republican president, president Trump.
And, his resilience, his strength, his fortitude, his unwillingness to give in is an inspiration and an example of the kind of leader that he is. I could never give in. I wanna say to the people of Illinois two things. Number one, I never raised your taxes, and number two, I didn't do it. It was all political talk.
And so I wouldn't give in because I love my wife. I love my daughters. I'll always honor and revere the memory I have of my late parents and the values they taught me. And I could never give in and sell the people of Illinois out and let these corrupt prosecutors criminalize things that are routine and legal in politics and take you away from me. To all of the Democrats out there who voted for you twice in elections, Democratic, voters who voted for me in two elections as governor, I wanna thank you.
For all of those Republicans out there who voted against me in those two elections, I wanna particularly thank you for the second election. Had there been more of you in that one, I wouldn't have gone where I ended up going. But most importantly, I wanna talk a little bit just about what's, I believe, the greatest constitutional crisis in American history since the civil war, and that is this weaponization of prosecutors for political purposes, rigged courts, a broken justice system that is historically been racist in America, now has become weaponized in America. And I also wanna say, how law fair and the misuse of the power of prosecutors in the courts must never be part of the political process. Abraham Lincoln said it right when he talked about government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
And that's what's at stake here. And so moving forward as we learn from the past without bitterness, always remembering, I, wanna simply say that I'm determined to do whatever I can as a private citizen, volunteer my time and efforts to do the best I could to fight for justice and to, and do what I think is right. I'm gonna wrap it up and introduce my lawyer, Leonard Gooden here, in one second. But I'd like to share a quick little story about, my early days in prison, way back in 02/2012, '2 thousand '13, '2 thousand '14, when they put me in a prison behind a barbed wire fence, the inmates call it the razor wire. This is fresh in my mind because I'm writing a book about that experience, and I can't help but forget the things that you know, some of the experiences I went through.
And I remember one of my first visits to see Patty and our kids, and our little Annie was still only eight years old. And before going in to see my family, there's a there's a fee you have to pay, a price you have to pay before you can see your family that's being searched. Full body cavity cavity strip search going in, a full body cavity strip search going out. And while I was doing one of those undignified things, a kindhearted correctional officer, one of the prison guards, a man who was raised in the black churches and had a deep abiding faith in the Christian faith, told me a story. He advised me, go read Genesis chapter 38 to 50.
Story of Joseph. And at the end of that story, a man who was innocent was condemned to prison, but god favored him and pulled him out. At the end of that story, Joseph says to those who persecuted him and had trumpet do with what happened to him, his brothers would sold him out. He said, what you meant for evil, God meant for good. I truly believe that as bad as this has been, I can't begin to tell you how blessed and fortunate I've always felt to be able to walk through life with Patty.
It's been a most gracious thing. She defied the odds. Two days after I was arrested, the Vegas Odds Makers had a nine to one that she was gonna leave. She didn't leave. She stayed.
After eight years of incarceration, when better than 90% of women, whether they're wives or significant others, and a man's in prison for more than four years, they don't stick around. So I've been blessed and fortunate to have fallen in love with and walked through life with my loving wife and our daughters. It's faith, hope, and love that brought us home. And so grateful to the people who've been supportive of of us, who've been so kind with their words of encouragement through all those hard years. And, again, above all, one more time, let me tell you from the bottom of my heart, how deep my appreciation and gratitude is for president Trump.
I believe president Trump is well on his way to being the most consequential president in American history since Franklin Roosevelt. He is gonna change things and make things better. And among the things he's gonna change, I believe, is gonna save our democracy by putting a stop to weaponize prosecutions for political purposes and law fear. Thank you. Leonard?
Rod, real quick. Do you want the ambassadorship to Serbia? Could you comment on that? Are you in line with that position? No comment.
Speaker 1: Are you gonna run for public office now that you're party?
Speaker 0: She's here. No comment.
Speaker 2: Are you going for a mayor?
Speaker 1: Because the president don't put any position in his company. Alright?
Speaker 0: Look. You're asking me political questions about whether or not I want to run for public office. I haven't thought about that. I'm so grateful for what president Trump did for me and for my family. Patty's made it abundantly clear that I ever do that again.
I'm quoting you. She said, I'll be doing that with my second wife. And, I sure don't wanna lose her.
Speaker 1: Do you think speaker Madigan is a victim of the weaponization of prosecutors? Oh my god.
Speaker 0: I, I'm not gonna comment on that, and I haven't been following that. Goenner, come talk, please. Then I'll answer more questions.
Speaker 3: I met Rod in 02/2011. I've been fighting for his freedom ever since, and this is a a happy day. And I just wanna say there's not many people that come through the federal system and can actually come out the other side, with their house, with their family intact. It says a lot about the strength of this man and this amazing wife, Patty, Patty that he has. And, I just also wanna say this is a case, that was built on a political deal that was never a crime.
He never should have done a day, and, thanks. I I also thank president Trump for doing the right thing. This is what pardon power is supposed thank you all for, for for the support, and and it's been my honor, to get to know these people.
Speaker 0: Leonard, what what's the communication been like with the White House in recent days? Do you comment on how
Speaker 3: I have no comment
Speaker 1: on that.
Speaker 0: How did you find Can I say something about Leonard? He's not only a good man, he's a great lawyer. And, it's been a real pleasure and an honor having him represent us and and, the appeal that he wrote. I would spend hours in prison rereading his appeal, something like 90 something pages. It was very meticulous.
He's a great writer, good short sentences. But most of all, he's just a good effing guy, and what a great experience it's been with Leonard. Even though every step of the way, we lost every step of the way in that second rigged corrupt trial run by a judge who was a political hack.
Speaker 1: How did you hear? Did Trump call you directly? You have to talk to Iran. That's what I mean. I How did you find out?
Did did Trump call you directly?
Speaker 0: And I'm gonna try to call president Trump myself and personally thank him. But Patty and I were, spending quiet evening at home two Saturdays ago, and the phone rang. And, someone that I know through the Trump campaign was his calling. He was calling, and I answered it. Really a good guy, very effective.
And I said, hey, Sergio. How are you doing? Congratulations on your big position. And he said, hold on a minute, Gov. An old friend would like to say hi to you.
And then I got on the phone, and it was president Trump. And, he told me that that this is what he was gonna do, and, and so we've known him for a couple of weeks. And, again, what can I say? He's just he's just a great effing guy.
Speaker 1: What is your strongest feeling right
Speaker 0: No. No anxiety after it will lead me through. You know, one benefit of that experience is that nobody can hurt you anymore after they do that to you. And you you face that, and you have to endure that. And, you know, people ask me sometimes, well, what do you think is your greatest accomplishment in life?
Is it being governor? And my answer is no. Not even close. My greatest accomplishment is falling in love with Patty and having our children and standing up to these corrupt prosecutors never giving in, never ever giving in to the threats, the extortion, the shakedown, and the offers of leniency. If I'd be willing to say what they want me to say, I wouldn't do it.
And I wouldn't do it because, as I said, my children, my wife, my late parents, me, and the people of Illinois, and your right to vote for me or against me. I was defending the right of all of the people out there who wanna vote against me because it's their decision. The right of the people that choose their leaders in elections, free and fair, and not have them taken promise or interfered with by weaponized prosecutors who've turned themselves into political hitmen.
Speaker 1: Do you remember the wheeling and dealing conversations, though, that got you in trouble at all?
Speaker 0: Not at all. That's good government. The first mayor Daley used to say good politics is good government, and good government is good politics. And Abraham Lincoln was our greatest president. Maybe Trump will surpass him, but Abraham Lincoln was our greatest president because he was a master of politics, and he was able to govern because of his political skills.
And the slaves would not have been freed had it not been for Lincoln's great skill at politics. The thirteenth amendment
Speaker 1: would have never passed
Speaker 0: had not Lincoln engaged in wheeling and dealing to make it happen so that he can get those senators to support the thirteenth amendment. So no. Not at all. What I was doing was trying to do right by the people.
Speaker 1: And by the way, 98%
Speaker 0: of those FBI tapes that talk about all the potential deals we talked about, including the ones leading up to my arrest, that proves Patrick Fitzgerald is an effing liar when he said he was stopping a crime spree before it happened. On the night before, in the days before, you ought to hear those tapes and what I was about to do and what he stopped. So maybe now maybe now we can get some of those tapes played, and you see that this prosecutor Shar, the lead prosecutor in court, how he directly lied to the jury when I was testifying about what was on those tapes, and they wouldn't let me play the tapes in court to corroborate what I was saying. And he goes and tells the jury, go back in the jury room and listen to how many times he talks about the Madigan deal, which would have provided health care for people, public works, 500,000 jobs with a big capital project, public works bill, and a written promise not to raise taxes on the people. That was the deal.
And Rahm Emanuel, the day before, I was told by my chief of staff, agreed to be the go between. And then the next morning, they come here at 06:00 in the morning with SWAT teams around my house and a hostage negotiator to arrest the sitting governor, the fifth largest state. What's the
Speaker 3: difference for Cheryl protecting Barack Obama?
Speaker 0: I don't know. But, Barack Obama's three o twos are still being covered up.
Speaker 1: Governor, does it is it is it unconstitutional to for the state to bar you, for running across now that your convictions have been wiped away?
Speaker 0: I believe it was always unconstitutional.
Speaker 1: Will you challenge again? I know you lost that case in court.
Speaker 0: I know, but look who's here. I don't know. I I I haven't thought that far ahead. This isn't about me running for office again, honestly. It is, however, a step towards me trying to serve my country some more and doing what I think is right now.
Speaker 2: I think that's right now. What is the one thing you wanna do?
Speaker 1: And you won't comment on the potential ambassadorship. What is next for you as you're passing?
Speaker 0: Well, I think more of what I've been doing, I'm writing a book about the experience. It's a story that starts with one president. President Obama ends with another, president Trump. And most of the story is about a government prison with crips and bloods and gangster disciples. I've seen a little cartel drug dealers who look up to El Chapo, the drug lord.
Like, my two daughters look up to Taylor Swift. There were murders in that prison they put me in for the first two and a half years. I went from a 50,000 square foot governor's mansion to a six foot by eight foot prison cell. I reached and searched for god and found him. I've learned that in in the sadness of life, that's something we often do is to search for god, and I found him.
And it was my Christian faith that gave me the strength I needed to endure, to persevere, to overcome, and my love for my family. It really was faith, hope, and love. Saint Paul, first letter of Corinthians chapter 13. So I'm writing that book, and I I do some business and some consulting work and things of that sort, and I could keep doing that. And and I'll be as helpful as I possibly can be to president Trump and his efforts to save our democracy and make our country better.
Speaker 1: Consulting work for who specifically?
Speaker 0: Well, I mean, I've got private clients. I'm not I don't think they'd appreciate me. What Trying to get me fired or something?
Speaker 1: What did you do on those two trips to Serbia?
Speaker 0: Well, I met with president Vucic. You know, my father came from Serbia.
Speaker 1: Who played for the trip?
Speaker 0: My father came from Serbia, and I, was invited to go there and and be with him and and, and do some business.
Speaker 1: What happens with your pension?
Speaker 0: You know, Patty thinks about those things. I never ever did, and I still don't. They they took it away. I know that. Took my law license away, the sons of bitches.
And, I shouldn't say that, but it was wrong. I I deserve my law license for standing up for the rule of law. And my pension, you know, I never really thought much about that. I still consider myself young, even though the number of years I've lived the lie that. But, you know, I don't know.
I haven't thought about that. Did you wanna address dress that, honey? You don't have to
Speaker 1: do it. No. No. No?
Speaker 0: Well, you know, she kept us in our home, and she built her little business as a single mom all by herself. I miss my daughters growing up because of what they did, but she raised our two little girls beautifully. They're grown. They're they they both do great in school. They take after their mother.
And, our older daughter is doing great. Her little one's doing great, and we're so blessed and grateful. And I really believe that what happened, it was for a purpose, something much larger than us.
Speaker 1: What do you tell to all the innocent people that are in prison that they
Speaker 0: don't have the lineup today? Yeah. I think it's very important for us to build on president Trump's first step, and the first step is that he was able to pass criminal justice reform. It was a Donald Trump who did that, not a democratic president. Donald Trump who big began the process of undoing the 1994 crime bill that Joe pard Joe Biden sponsored and Bill Clinton signed.
I'd like to see us take a step a second step. I learned a lot of hard lessons from that experience I was in. It just reaffirmed. But I really knew but never really knew deeply, and that is that the criminal justice system is is is a racist system, and it disproportionately discriminates against people of color, particularly black people. And first time nonviolent drug offenders, nonviolent drug offenders first time, given these long sentences, almost impossible for them to have a chance at a second chance.
President Trump began that process, a significant step with the Bush Step Act that led to the freedom for a lot of lot of people. I think there's more to be done, a lot more to be done. And I do think that they're part of that criminal justice reform needs to include holding prosecutors who abuse their power accountable for what they've done. And I think it's really important moving forward that we we do something like that. If I'm right and I am right, if you can use an unlawful standard as they did to get to get convictions for things that are legal, that the Supreme Court says is a first amendment protected right.
If they can get away doing that, there's no difference between doing that and a dirty cop who plants a murder weapon to frame an innocent man. And so those cops who do that go to jail. How is it these prosecutors are immune from that sort of thing?
Speaker 1: It was also announced today, that, Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, the justice department is not gonna prosecute him any longer. Do you see any parallels between your case and his
Speaker 0: case? I I I see you'll see. I see. Yeah. No, man.
You're wrong. I see, I see a parallel in that he upset some powerful people, political people, and all of a sudden, he became a target or something. And, apparently, they're talking about upgrades on a flight to Turkey or something. I don't know a lot about the details. I don't even have that, but I'm glad to hear that they're not gonna prosecute him because it all sounded like a bunch of baloney to me.
Speaker 2: Are you glad that Charles Kushner got a part pardon Charles Kushner was accused of hiring a hooker to bait his brother-in-law.
Speaker 0: Any other questions? About that. Alright.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Pay your life to helping people of color get out of jail?
Speaker 0: Yes. Very much. Yeah. I believe that's part of my destiny, and I believe I must do it. I do believe that.
I believe I've been blessed with a miracle, but president Trump has been God's instrument. I believe that deeply, and I believe it's my calling. I very much do. And I hope to be able to work with the current administration in that direction. And I believe look.
I know him enough.
Speaker 1: I don't know him that well, but I know him enough to know when
Speaker 0: he sees something wrong, he doesn't hesitate. This man, president Trump, asked to undo wrongdoings. And so a lot of it has to do with getting information to the people that have the power to make the decisions. And I think I could be helpful that way and do more than that, but certainly that.
Speaker 2: As a Serbian, do you support president Trump standing up against Vladimir Putin in Ukraine?
Speaker 0: Is that the same guy?
Speaker 2: Yeah. It's the same
Speaker 0: guy. Yeah. Nice to meet you. Yeah. I'm not going into foreign affairs.
Are you crazy? That's I'm gonna know.
Speaker 2: You're not gonna be a mess or the Serbia.
Speaker 0: Anybody Leonard, you want anything you wanna say? Yeah. Anyway, thank you so much. Glad to see you guys again. In exchange for your pardon.
He's never ever asked me for anything, by
Speaker 1: the way.
Speaker 0: I should point that out. Never ever
Speaker 1: because you don't know Trump. Yeah. What does he want?
