Kwame Kilpatrick, former Detroit Democratic Mayor and close friend of Barack Obama, endorsed President Donald Trump on Saturday.
Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced in federal court to 28 years in prison for public corruption back in 2013. This was the longest corruption sentence ever handed down to a public official.
Kilpatrick was previously endorsed by Barack Obama and was once mentioned as a possible candidate for president. Kilpatrick named himself Detroit’s “hip hop mayor” during his time in office.
Kilpatrick was allegedly running a criminal enterprise stealing millions from the city of Detroit; his convictions included tax crimes, racketeering, bribery, and extortion.
President Trump commuted Kwame Kilpatrick’s prison sentence before he left office in January 2021. He had served seven years of his 28-year sentence.
On Saturday, Kwame endorsed Donald Trump for president in the upcoming election.
The Detroit News reported:
Trump’s visit to 180 Church in Detroit was preceded by his campaign’s announcement of an endorsement of Trump by former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick as well as the formation of a Black Americans for Trump coalition.
Kilpatrick, whose sentence was commuted by Trump before he left office in January 2021, was listed among Trump’s endorsements and was briefly quoted in the announcement as a former mayor and state representative.
“I can never thank President Trump enough for what he’s done for me and my family by giving me freedom,” Kilpatrick said. “But I believe this election and the issues involved are personal to every family and every person in America.”
Kwame was pardoned in 2021.
