U.S. President Donald Trump doesn’t know who Binance founder Changpeng Zhao is after pardoning him. The shocking claim, made during a 60 Minutes interview on CBS, has ignited a political firestorm.
Trump’s comment comes as his family’s own crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, has been linked to Binance-built technology, making his denial even harder for many to believe. Lawmakers are now calling for answers, saying the Trump pardon reeks of favoritism and self-interest.
Trump distances himself from Binance’s CZ
In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, anchor Norah O’Donnell pressed Trump on why he issued a pardon for Changpeng Zhao, better known as ‘CZ’, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to money laundering violations through Binance. Trump brushed off the question, saying, “Okay, are you ready? I don’t know who he is.” He went on to call Zhao’s prosecution “a Biden witch hunt,” adding that he was “too busy doing other things” and that his sons — who run the Trump family’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial — “were into it.”
Trump family’s crypto ties deepen scrutiny
Zhao’s company, Binance, reportedly helped power World Liberty Financial’s digital token, USD1, earlier this year. The token’s valuation soared from $127 million to over $2.1 billion following a major investment that used Binance-built technology, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Critics call out ‘corruption optics’
Lawmakers from both sides have blasted the move. Senator Elizabeth Warren said Trump’s actions “make a mockery of justice,” while Representative Jerry Nadler accused him of “selling pardons to anyone who can profit him.” Even Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale — a Trump ally — wrote that the CZ pardon “makes it look like massive fraud is happening around him.”
Why Trump’s CZ comment matters
A presidential pardon is supposed to serve justice, not personal gain. Trump’s claim that he doesn’t know the Binance founder raises serious ethical questions — and suggests either ignorance or willful denial. Either way, critics say it’s another example of how money, power, and politics are colliding under his leadership.
