Trump Admits to Lacking Knowledge of Binance CEO, Pardoned Amid Controversy.
In a recent interview with CBS correspondent Norah O'Donnell on 60 Minutes, President Trump expressed his puzzlement over why he pardoned Binance's former CEO Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering laws.
According to Trump, the president "didn't know who" Zhao was and only knew that he had received a four-month sentence. However, this assessment seems at odds with the fact that Trump has been actively courting Zhao's company, Binance, for months prior to his pardon.
Binance, which operates a separate exchange for US customers, reportedly facilitated a $2 billion purchase of World Liberty Financial's stablecoin and has played a key role in advancing the growth of the cryptocurrency market. This lucrative deal appears to be directly linked to Trump's decision to grant Zhao a presidential pardon, sparking concerns about potential conflicts of interest within the Trump family.
During the interview, Trump maintained that his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., are more involved with crypto than he is, but claimed he "knows very little" about it. He went on to say that he views cryptocurrency as a "huge industry" and expressed support for its growth in America.
Despite the lack of knowledge about Zhao's conviction, Trump did express sympathy for the Binance CEO, labeling him a "victim" of what he described as a "vicious, horrible group of people" within the Biden administration. This stance seems particularly perplexing given that the pardon was granted just weeks after it became public that Binance had helped facilitate the purchase in question.
When asked about potential ties between his family business and crypto operations, Trump's responses were vague but emphasized the importance of his sons being involved. The president further stated that he believes China is likely to overtake America as a leader in cryptocurrency if nothing is done to support its growth domestically.
Overall, the pardon of Changpeng Zhao has sparked controversy surrounding potential conflicts of interest within the Trump family and raises questions about President Trump's knowledge of and involvement with key figures in the cryptocurrency industry.
In a recent interview with CBS correspondent Norah O'Donnell on 60 Minutes, President Trump expressed his puzzlement over why he pardoned Binance's former CEO Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering laws.
According to Trump, the president "didn't know who" Zhao was and only knew that he had received a four-month sentence. However, this assessment seems at odds with the fact that Trump has been actively courting Zhao's company, Binance, for months prior to his pardon.
Binance, which operates a separate exchange for US customers, reportedly facilitated a $2 billion purchase of World Liberty Financial's stablecoin and has played a key role in advancing the growth of the cryptocurrency market. This lucrative deal appears to be directly linked to Trump's decision to grant Zhao a presidential pardon, sparking concerns about potential conflicts of interest within the Trump family.
During the interview, Trump maintained that his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., are more involved with crypto than he is, but claimed he "knows very little" about it. He went on to say that he views cryptocurrency as a "huge industry" and expressed support for its growth in America.
Despite the lack of knowledge about Zhao's conviction, Trump did express sympathy for the Binance CEO, labeling him a "victim" of what he described as a "vicious, horrible group of people" within the Biden administration. This stance seems particularly perplexing given that the pardon was granted just weeks after it became public that Binance had helped facilitate the purchase in question.
When asked about potential ties between his family business and crypto operations, Trump's responses were vague but emphasized the importance of his sons being involved. The president further stated that he believes China is likely to overtake America as a leader in cryptocurrency if nothing is done to support its growth domestically.
Overall, the pardon of Changpeng Zhao has sparked controversy surrounding potential conflicts of interest within the Trump family and raises questions about President Trump's knowledge of and involvement with key figures in the cryptocurrency industry.