November 3, 2025
Pardon? I hardly know him!
'No idea who he is', says Trump after pardoning crypto tycoon
Internet roasts ‘I don’t know him’ pardon; crypto, politics, and chaos collide
TLDR: Trump pardoned crypto mogul CZ, then said he doesn’t know him, sparking online outrage and jokes. Commenters split between calling it spite politics, “honor among thieves,” and shrugging it off as minor drama, while others worry about U.S. credibility and cozy ties to crypto players.
President Trump says he doesn’t know Binance cofounder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao — right after pardoning him. Cue the internet flipping tables. In a BBC report, Trump calls it a Biden “witch hunt,” while commenters call it everything from spite politics to honor among thieves. CZ had pleaded guilty in 2023 for enabling money laundering, served four months, and stepped down from Binance. Trump’s team says Biden waged a “war on crypto,” and this was a correction. The comments? A popcorn-fueled frenzy.
The spiciest crowd insists the pardon is classic “do it first, explain later,” with one saying the administration has “no idea what they’re doing but doing it out of spite.” Others go full crime-drama, dubbing it “honor among thieves.” Then there’s the geopolitical spiral: users openly wonder if the U.S. is still “better” than China, warning this should worry Americans. There’s also a calmer corner saying, basically, of all the chaos, this is small potatoes.
Memes landed fast: “I don’t know him” became the new catchphrase, with jokes about a presidential “pardon speedrun.” And since CZ-linked ventures have ties to companies in Trump Tower and advisory boards with Trump’s sons, the commentariat is reading it like an episode of Succession: crypto plot twists, family cameos, and maximum drama.
Key Points
- •Donald Trump said he does not know Changpeng Zhao despite pardoning him last month during a CBS 60 Minutes interview.
- •Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering, served four months in prison, and stepped down as Binance CEO.
- •Zhao’s companies partnered with Trump-linked firms on digital-currency projects, including Dominari Holdings based in Trump Tower with Trump’s sons on its advisory board.
- •The pardon lifts restrictions that prevented Zhao from running financial ventures, though its effect on his regulatory standing and role at Binance is unclear.
- •White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Zhao’s prosecution part of a “war on cryptocurrency” and said the decision was an exercise of presidential authority.