By Illinois Review
On Tuesday, IR Editor-in-Chief Mark Vargas traveled to Naples, Florida to moderate a discussion alongside Alfie Oakes, the founder of Oakes Farm and owner of the patriotic and popular grocery store Seed to Table, that featured former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, one of the nation’s highest profile Trumpocrat’s — a Democrat who supports President Donald Trump — as the former governor previewed the book that he’s been working on quietly for the last several months.
The event, which was held at Seed to Table in Naples, was hosted by Oakes and Matrix Home Solutions founder and CEO Nick Richmond. The discussion was broadcast live on Rumble, and was heard on speakers throughout the 75,000 square foot grocery store as people shopped and dined. An estimated 200 people sat in the upper level of the store to watch the discussion live on stage.
Seed to Table remains a popular spot for supporters of President Trump and even showcases a My Pillow section that includes a cardboard cutout of My Pillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell. The patriotic store also sells Trump merchandise and patriotic apparel outside, including hats, shirts, bumper stickers and magnets. And several American flags are proudly displayed throughout the patriotic grocery store and fresh produce market.
“This is the first time that I’ve had a Democrat on stage with me,” joked Oakes, as the crowd burst into laughter. The audience featured Naples residents — many originally from the Chicagoland area and tourists from all over the country. Jim Pfaff, president of The Conservative Caucus — a Washington, DC-based national conservative grassroots organization flew to Naples just for the event — eager to hear and see Oakes and Blagojevich on stage together for a historic and meaningful discussion about saving our country and electing Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States.
In the past, Oakes has hosted Tucker Carlson, Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Ambassador Callista Gingrich, Vivek Ramaswamy and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, but Tuesday’s discussion, moderated by Vargas, focused on Blagojevich’s time in prison, his faith in God and his time as a contestant on the number one television show Celebrity Apprentice which was hosted by then businessman and real estate mogul Donald Trump. Blagojevich even opened up and shared a few of his favorite Bible verses that sustained him during some of the darkest and lonelier days in prison – far away from his wife and two young daughters. Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison and served 8 years before President Trump commuted his sentence on February 18, 2020.
Blagojevich also spent time talking about weaponized government agencies that target political enemies as well as the corrupt prosecutors that targeted him in 2008 and President Trump since 2015 who criminalize routine business practices and politics. Blagojevich even joked that he was “Roger Stone before Roger Stone” when describing the day that 28 federal agents and a SWAT team and hostage negotiator raided his home at 6:00 in the morning with guns blazing to arrest a sitting governor while his two young daughters slept in their bedrooms upstairs.
“Today in America, we are facing the politics of persecution, prosecution and personal destruction – destroying government of the people, by the people and for the people – and this is your government – this is your county – so you must fight back,” said Blagojevich.
“And if you believe in God and believe in what the scriptures teach us, resistance to tyrants is obedience to God. You’ve got to fight back, you’ve got to stand up to this if you want a good future for your kids.”
Oakes also offered his thoughts on why he wanted to host Blagojevich at his store for a discussion, saying,
“He’s real and he’s honest, speaking from the heart. That’s the way that I speak. I can only imagine what he’s been through – the way you keep fighting against the establishment. That’s who we are against. And those are the people who have done him wrong and those are the people who are doing Donald Trump wrong – and to be still at this stage in the game fighting, I’m going to be behind him every step of the way.”
The event ended on a positive note as both Oakes and Blagojevich encouraged the audience to never lose hope and to keep fighting because our country and our future depends on it.
“I want to thank you for loving our country the way I know you all do. I want to thank you for being part of not only saving our country but making it great again. And by the way, I don’t know what’s wrong with saying that. Here again the Democrat Party somehow making America great again is bad? America has always been great, it’s never been perfect – it’s always been great.”
