Okay, so Trump pardoned this crypto dude Changpeng Zhao – CZ, whatever. Then, on 60 Minutes, he pulls the "I have no idea who that is" card. Seriously? Give me a break. Trump says he doesn’t know who crypto tycoon is despite having pardoned him
The Amnesia Defense
The guy pardoned him! Pardoned him for enabling money laundering, for crying out loud. We're talking about someone who pleaded guilty to charges related to, allegedly, failing to report suspicious transactions with organizations including Hamas and al-Qaida. And Trump's defense is, "Who?"
It's like saying, "Yeah, I signed the order to launch the nukes, but I don't recall exactly which button I pressed."
Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, called the prosecution a "war on cryptocurrency," which is just… rich. So, the official line is that Trump is sticking it to Biden by letting this guy off the hook. But if that's the case, why the sudden amnesia? Why pretend you don't know the guy you just handed a "get out of jail free" card to?
Is it possible that Trump genuinely forgot? Maybe. The man's got a lot on his plate, I guess. But that's almost worse. If the President of the United States is signing pardons for people he can't even remember, we've got bigger problems than crypto bros getting away with shady dealings. It’s like he's running the country via Mad Libs.
The Crypto Connection
Here’s where it gets extra greasy. CZ’s Binance has apparently had business dealings with World Liberty Financial, which is, wait for it, a cryptocurrency company owned by Trump’s family. The Trump administration previously halted a fraud case against crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, after his investments in the Trump family's crypto firm, World Liberty Financial. Offcourse, it's all above board.
So, let's get this straight: Trump claims ignorance, but his family's got fingers in the same crypto pie as this guy? I mean, come on. It smells like swamp gas in here.
And Zhao promised to “do everything we can to help make America the Capital of Crypto.” I'm not sure I want America to be the "Capital of Crypto," especially if it involves pardoning guys who allegedly skirt money-laundering laws. That ain't a vision of the future I signed up for.
The Autopen Alibi?
This whole thing gets even weirder when you consider the autopen situation. Apparently, some Republicans are trying to invalidate pardons signed by autopen under Biden. Is it possible Trump's pardon for Zhao was signed by autopen? And if so, does that make the whole thing even more of a farce?
I mean, are we seriously questioning the validity of presidential pardons based on how they were signed? This isn't some technicality; this is about justice, national security, and the integrity of the highest office in the land.
Then again, maybe I'm asking too much.
So, What's the Real Story?
Look, either Trump is straight-up lying about not knowing CZ, or he's so out of touch that he's signing off on pardons without any clue who he's letting off the hook. Neither option is exactly comforting, is it? It's a clown show, plain and simple.
