Overview
- On CBS’s 60 Minutes, President Trump said he did not know Binance founder Changpeng Zhao despite pardoning him about 10 days ago, a stance that undercuts his past attacks on so‑called autopen pardons.
- Norah O’Donnell noted that Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to anti‑money‑laundering failures and that prosecutors said his conduct caused significant harm to U.S. national security by enabling terrorist financing.
- Recent reporting says Binance helped support World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin as the venture’s valuation jumped from about $127 million to more than $2.1 billion, and that MGX used USD1 in a $2 billion investment tied to Zhao’s company.
- World Liberty says a pardon was never discussed, the White House denies any conflicts of interest, and a Binance lawyer says Zhao did not broker the MGX relationship.
- Democrats including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Jerry Nadler denounced the pardon as corrupt or pay‑for‑play, while some Trump allies such as Joe Lonsdale criticized the decision as poorly advised.