The post Trump admits he does not know who Changpeng Zhao is after pardoning him appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

In a recent interview, President Donald Trump admitted to not knowing who Binance founder Changpeng Zhao was before he pardoned him last month. Summary President Donald Trump claimed that he did not personally know Zhao but believed he was unfairly targeted during what was dubbed the Biden administration’s “war on cryptocurrency.” The pardon sparked mixed reactions, with speculation over Zhao’s potential return to Binance and criticism from U.S. Senate Democrats who accused Trump of possible financial conflicts of interest tied to his crypto ventures. According to a BBC News article, President Donald Trump sat down to talk about his decision to pardon Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao on CBS News’ 60 Minutes programme. During the interview, when he was asked about the underlying reason why he decided to pardon Zhao, he had an interesting response. “Okay, are you ready? I don’t know who he is,” said Trump in the interview. He told the media that he did not recall ever meeting Zhao and frankly had “no idea who he is.” However, he was informed by others in his administration that the crypto multi-billionaire was wrongfully accused and punished during a “witch hunt” under the Biden administration, which was known for upholding an anti-crypto stance. Trump also reinforced his position in supporting the crypto industry in the United States. More specifically, he aimed to turn the U.S into the crypto capital of the world before China or other rival countries beat them to the punch. On Oct. 23, a White House official confirmed that the President had pardoned Changpeng Zhao, a year after he was released from prison. Zhao was charged and found guilty of money laundering charges which resulted in a four-month sentence spent in prison. At the time, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Changpeng…

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Filed under: News - @ November 3, 2025 1:27 pm