Obama, Trump and the Political Battle That Changed His Life

0:00 Speaker 1 Sunday morning with us today is Governor Rod Blagojevich and one good friend, one smart guy, trying to convince him to run for mayor of Chicago. He was governor for almost 12 years. And, Rod, we had a great conversation Thursday night. Where do we leave off? Where do we continue?

0:22 Speaker 2 Well, I just remind the voters out there, people who listen to your show, to get out and vote. It’s all about turnout now. And the question is really whether or not we move forward with President Trump’s agenda, which has been an agenda that’s been very good for working people.

0:35 No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security. Money coming to everyday ordinary people if he wins again. No president does things that Trump does to help people. He’s made our country stronger. Most importantly, he secured our borders. Crime is down nationwide because of his policies. Or do we go to this Democratic Party,

0:55 which is not the Democratic Party anymore? It’s the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has been hijacked by socialists and communists who hate America. And if you want Mom Donnie all across America, then stay home and allow the Democrats to win the midterm elections. But if you want to make our country great again and protect it from people who

1:14 will destroy our country, get out there and vote.

1:17 Speaker 1 Now, you were taken down partially. I mean, I still don’t remember... Illinois, there was a long time ago how President Barack Obama, he wasn’t president at the time, but he went from state senator to United States senator to president of the United States within like three, four, five years.

1:38 How did this happen?

1:42 Speaker 2 Well, Obama, my troubles began because Obama sent an emissary to me. on election night in uh... november of two thousand eight when he won we were all there grant park was stored was magical so wonderful thing a black bit person is now elected president i did state what a great message to black kids everywhere i can one

2:01 day be president united state in this great land of opportunity this great country land of opportunity work A guy like Cassie Matides can become so successful like you, or a guy like Blagojevich who didn’t do so good in school can become the governor of Illinois. So Obama’s election, the symbolism of it was a powerful thing. Unfortunately, he

2:20 turned out to be not the great uniter that we thought he would be, but the great divider. And on election night, he sent an emissary to me to make a political deal. He wanted me to appoint a senator he wanted. He wanted to know what I wanted in return.

2:33 I discussed all kinds of opportunities to create a political deal with Obama that would have been good for the people of Illinois. I threw out ideas, was criminalized against me by corrupt, weaponized prosecutors, some of the same ones who did it to President Trump. Obama ran for the hills, protected himself, and made a deal with them.

2:50 Speaker 1 So Obama was part of the process where you feel you got in trouble?

2:57 Speaker 2 He was the one who started the conversations that sent me to prison for eight years. would have been 14 years, but for the fact that President Trump intervened and pulled me out of there. For political conversations that the appellate court eventually said were not crimes. Obama started the whole thing.

3:11 And then he made the deal to protect himself a couple of days after I got arrested. I write about that in my book, John, Framed, Debt, and Freed, which is coming out November 10th.

3:21 Speaker 1 Tell us about the book, then. Because all of a sudden, Barack Obama... He is out there promoting the socialists like never before, and nobody understands what the heck is going on. And is that the real Barack Obama, or which one is the real Barack Obama?

3:43 Speaker 2 Well, I think Barack Obama is a guy with not a lot of strong conviction. If he leans anywhere, his conviction is to put aside his personal life because he’s the ultimate capitalist because the guy is nearly a billionaire now.

3:56 But I think his philosophy politically for the rest of us is on the socialist side, basically keep everybody else, you know, pull other people down, don’t lift anybody up, continue with a system that has failed everywhere it’s been tried in history. I think that’s Obama’s political philosophy, except when it applies to him because he’s made a lot

4:17 of money since he’s been president. I think he’s, you know, I think he’s close to being a billionaire is what I’ve read. I mean, he’s made so much money. But he’s central to my book because none of that would have happened had he didn’t send someone to me to talk about making a political deal, which was criminalized in

4:36 my case. Obama should have stood up for the rule of law, not so much for me, but for the rule of law and the Constitution. But he didn’t. He made a very cynical political deal to protect himself. And, you know, he spent eight years in the White House.

4:50 I spent eight years in the big house. I laugh about it now, but you’d have to say, John, Obama had a better eight years than me. Absolutely. But none of it would have happened had Obama not approached me to make the political deal that was criminalized against me, which wasn’t a crime.

5:05 Speaker 1 Understood. Anything else you want to say? Lately, that cook of his that died, it’s been coming up that there might be something else happening. Have you heard anything?

5:23 Speaker 2 Nothing on the cook. I haven’t heard that. But as I write in my book, again, I just want to plug the book, if you don’t mind, John, just because I hope people read it. Because it’s a story that starts with Obama, one president, ends with Trump, another president.

5:36 And I was a Democrat governor. You have to remember this. And I’ve known Obama since 1995. My relationship with him was far deeper than any relationship I’ve ever had with President Trump. But President Trump comes across great in the book because he’s great. And he’s a very kind person.

5:50 I write about that in the book, too. because I did a television show, Celebrity Apprentice. I talk about that as well. But I also tell stories from me in prison, not, you know, the camp where governors go, but I was in a higher prison with murderers. That’s where they put me for my first three years, with Crips and Bloods

6:07 and Gangster Disciples and Sinaloa Cartel drug dealers, men who committed murder, bank robbers, 200 or 400 sex offenders, 950 guys in there, 2% white collar, one governor, me. I went from having access to a 50,000 square foot governor’s mansion to a six foot by eight foot prison cell.

6:23 I’m in prison like you see in the movies. And I reached for the Bible that my wife gave me, the only thing that let you bring into prison because I was so alone, so heartbroken, so disillusioned and fearful that I had 14 years of this.

6:36 Speaker 1 Tell us the name of your book again.

6:38 Speaker 2 Brain, Depth and Freed. And it was God that got me through it all.

6:42 Speaker 1 And when is the book coming out?

6:45 Speaker 2 November 10th, but you can preorder it on Amazon right now.

6:48 Speaker 1 And, Rod Blagojevich, I hope we can convince you to run for mayor of Chicago because Chicago needs to be saved.

6:58 Speaker 2 Well, thank you, John. I appreciate you. And I’m really grateful for you giving me a chance to talk about things.

7:04 Speaker 1 We’ll catch up with you again real soon. Thank you for coming on this Sunday morning. Well, nine days to the election.