‘I Don’t Even Know Who That Is!’: Trump Dodges Questions Over Binance Billionaire He Pardoned
“Are you ready? I don’t know who he is,” President Donald Trump fired back at a stunned CBS reporter on Sunday, just days after he pardoned the globe-trotting crypto kingpin Changpeng Zhao. The admission, delivered on national television, has set off a political earthquake-reverberating from Congress to Wall Street, and from crypto chatrooms to conservative living rooms. Trump, once again, is right at the bullseye of the mainstream media’s latest outrage cycle.
Here’s the setup that nobody saw coming: Trump, who has spent the last year crusading against alleged Democratic corruption and what he calls Biden’s “deep state,” brushed off any connection to Zhao, the infamous Binance billionaire notorious for violating U.S. anti-money-laundering laws. But buried beneath that offhand dismissal is a world of unanswered questions: Who really engineered Zhao’s pardon? Was this about draining the swamp, or just filling different coffers? And why are Democrat lawmakers suddenly scrambling for investigations instead of celebrating another high-profile prosecution?
Social media lit up as soon as Trump’s quote aired. The hashtags #BinancePardon and #CryptoHypocrisy trended all night. Conservative Twitter personalities leapt to Trump’s defense, calling accusations of impropriety a “witch hunt echo” of the Biden years. But others-including some in the president’s own party-grumbled that this could be the kind of headline that haunts Republicans in a tight 2026 midterm battle.
“So Trump pardons someone whose case was used by the DOJ to show they were ‘tough on crypto crime’, then claims total ignorance. Classic!”-@CryptoPatriot87, Truth Social
Crypto Cash and Foreign Fortunes: The Binance-Trump Financial Web Exposed
The controversy didn’t spring from thin air-it was destined when Zhao pleaded guilty to serious anti-money-laundering violations in late 2023. The Department of Justice came down hard with a $4.3 billion penalty, while Zhao himself copped four months behind bars. Prosecutors warned that Binance had allowed terrorist groups including Hamas to move millions across global borders, threatening U.S. national security and fueling criminal underworlds.
But even that wasn’t enough to keep the moneyed crypto crowd at bay. In a move sure to worry anyone paying attention, Abu Dhabi investment titans poured billions into Trump’s own crypto venture, World Liberty Financial-with the deal going live mere days before Zhao’s pardon ink dried. For Democrats like Senators Warren and Schiff, the timing was just too perfect, and they’re already banging the drum for investigations into foreign interference and the blurred lines between presidential power and private profit.
All of this has come at a cost to trust in the system. While the usual suspects in the establishment media label the move as the latest example of “hypocrisy” or even alleged corruption, crypto leaders are singing a different song. Binance CEO Richard Teng doubled down on the message that Zhao ‘never had a fair shake’ and that hysteria over crypto is a Biden-era obsession. “The pardon of Changpeng Zhao is incredible news,” Teng said, calling for “clearer regulation” to let American crypto innovators compete with global giants.
“Funny how the left vilifies crypto till it’s time for a big donor payday. Biden & Obama loved FTX and SBF, but Trump can’t even clear the deck without a media witch hunt.”-@GOPLedger, X.com
Pattern or Coincidence? Trump’s Crypto Pardons and the 2026 Election Storm
If you’re feeling deja vu, you’re not alone. Trump’s decision to give Zhao a “get out of jail free” card is just the latest in a string of high-profile pro-crypto moves. Insiders still recall how he dropped fraud charges against Tron chief Justin Sun, not to mention the notorious clemency for Silk Road’s Ross Ulbricht-a move equally condemned by Democrats and establishment Republicans alike.
This isn’t just a one-off: Critics argue it’s a pattern, suggesting the Administration is friendly to disruptive entrepreneurs, especially those unfairly targeted by an activist DOJ. Proponents point out that Trump’s pardons serve to set American markets free from regulatory strangulation and weaponized prosecutions.
Of course, for beltway wags and left-leaning pundits, the narrative is set: The right’s “law and order” reputation is shot, and the White House is auctioning policy to foreign investors via crypto backchannels. They ignore Trump’s explicit stance that Zhao was “persecuted by the Biden administration” and that “a lot of people say he wasn’t guilty of anything.” The hypocrisy from liberals is glaring, particularly when they’re still silent over Democrat-linked FTX scandals or Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.
“It’s a pattern of political persecution-if a tech founder threatens the left’s grip, they do all they can to take them out. Trump’s giving crypto leaders a second chance to bring jobs and innovation back to America!”-@CitadelRepublican, Parler
One thing’s for sure: The closer we get to 2026 and beyond, the more the left will try to weaponize financial watchdogs and foreign-funded media against Trump’s populist agenda. But the American people aren’t fooled. Trump’s instinct to shake up the status quo-even when he ruffles feathers-remains a defining force in Republican politics. And if Democrats think this will sink the GOP, they might want to remember who moved crypto to the White House in the first place.
