Rod Blagojevich rips Trump indictment: 'The apocalypse of our democracy'
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), whose federal prison sentence for corruption was commuted by Trump in 2020, calls out the indictment ahead of the former president's arraignment.
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) called out "weaponized" district attorneys ahead of former President Donald Trump's arraignment, Tuesday, warning on "America's Newsroom" that prosecutors like Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg are out to "steal" the freedoms of Americans. Blagojevich has maintained his innocence on corruption charges after his prison sentence was commuted by then-President Trump in 2020.
AMERICANS WARNED TO ‘BEWARE A FLOOD OF FAKE TRUMP MUGSHOTS’ POWERED BY AI IN ADVANCE OF ARRAIGNMENT
ROD BLAGOJEVICH: I think this is the apocalypse of our democracy. 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. One positive thing I suppose you could say about the D.A. 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. 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.
Top House Republicans on Tuesday argued that it would be unconstitutional for a judge to put a gag order on Trump as the legal case against him proceeds in New York, and said such an order would "further demonstrate the weaponization of the New York justice system."
Trump will be arraigned in New York on Tuesday afternoon, presumably for charges related to hush money payments his lawyer made that his business marked down as a legal expense. A decision by the judge to put a gag order on Trump would bar him from discussing the case, and in New York violations of a gag order can lead to a $1,000 fine and up to 30 days in jail.
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio and House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., argued Tuesday that a gag order would be "unconstitutional."
"To put any restrictions on the ability of President Trump to discuss his mistreatment at the hands of this politically motivated prosecutor would only further demonstrate the weaponization of the New York justice system," the lawmakers said.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.
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