Ex-Detroit Mayor Pardoned By Donald Trump Endorses Trump For President

Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has endorsed Donald Trump for president. 

The announcement came from the Trump campaign on June 15, shortly before the four-time indicted businessman made an appearance at a Blacks For Trump rally at the 180 Church. As word of Kilpatrick’s endorsement circulated across social media, users were not too surprised by the news. 

Kilpatrick made headlines after he was sentenced to 28 years in prison for public corruption. After serving close to eight years behind bars, his sentence was pardoned by Trump in 2021. He has been quoted expressing gratitude for the former president and was seen attending a Trump rally in Saginaw County, Michigan, in March 2024.

“I can never thank President Trump enough for what he’s done for me and my family by giving me freedom,” he told Detroit News. “But I believe this election and the issues involved are personal to every family and every person in America.” 

After the Trump campaign launched the Black Americans for Trump coalition in the Motor City, social media users labeled Kilpatrick and Trump’s collaboration as “The Criminal Coalition.” 

Another user highlighted how Detroit residents feel about Kilpatrick after everything he did to the city under his reign. “The real people of Detroit have nothing but hate and disdain for Kwame Kilpatrick,” @bartgirl24 wrote. “He stole millions from the city and will never be forgiven.”

While the endorsement for the convicted GOP candidate is solid, Kilpatrick declined to announce who he will be voting for in November, though it won’t be for President Joe Biden.

Kilpatrick served Motown as a Democrat from 2002 to 2008. He resigned amid a gripping city hall scandal resulting in his conviction in federal court in a corruption scandal.

A timeline shows that Trump’s election campaign is cashing in on Democrats charged with corruption for help in returning to the White House. According to MSNBC, in May 2024, former Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich made an appearance at Mar-A-Lago for a Republican National Committee event.

Blagojevich, a former contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, was convicted of corruption but was released from prison after Trump commuted his sentence in 2020. Trump also issued support for Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was indicted, along with his wife ,Imelda, on charges of accepting close to $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank in May 2024. 

The indictment claimed the Cuellars used the money to finance credit card payments, taxes, car payments, dining, and shopping including a $12,000 custom gown.

Cueller has denied the allegations, and Trump jumped on his Truth Social site to express support, claiming the allegation ties into the opposition of some of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. “He was for Border Control, so they said, “Let’s use the FBI and DOJ to take him out!” This is the way they operate,” Trump wrote. 

Read more