Donald Trump’s claim that he didn’t know a money-laundering crypto boss to whom he gave a pardon sparked open laughter on CNN—at the expense of one of the president’s most loyal defenders.
Trump last month pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, who served four months in prison in 2024 after pleading guilty to money laundering. His company paid more than $4 billion, and Zhao personally paid a $50 million settlement, as part of the conviction.
Trump was asked about Zhao’s pardon on CBS News’ 60 Minutes on Sunday, where he claimed not to know who Zhao was, despite having wiped out his crime. Some analysts have found those claims hard to believe because Binance invested $2 billion in World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s cryptocurrency business, and Zhao had hired lobbyists to persuade Trump to grant him a pardon.
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