The president said his children were behind the decision.
US President Donald Trump made some controversial comments regarding his recent decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.
In a recent 60 Minutes interview, he claimed he didn’t know who CZ was, but forgave him because he “heard” his case was a “Biden witch hunt.”
When asked by host Norah O’Donnell why he released a man he didn’t know, the POTUS said:
“Well, here’s the thing. I don’t know anything about it because I’m too busy doing other things… My kids like it. I’m glad they do, because it’s probably a big industry, crypto. I think it’s good. You know, they’re running a business, they’re not in the government.”
According to a full transcript of the CBS interview, Trump avoided a question about possible corruption in the matter, given his family’s broader involvement in the cryptocurrency industry, adding: “I’m not worried. I’d rather you didn’t ask the question.”
The president’s claims are controversial, to say the least, given the recent history between Binance and crypto companies run by his family. Recall that the exchange facilitated a $2 billion purchase of the World Liberty Financial stablecoin a few months ago.
Trump’s initial decision to pardon CZ sparked an immediate reaction from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who condemned the move. The Binance founder hit back, accusing her of misrepresenting the nature of the charges against her.
CZ warned Warren to retract her statements or face legal consequences. On Sunday, the senator’s lawyers refused the threat of defamation, claiming that his publication was factually correct.
You may also be interested in:
“Senator Warren’s post is true in all respects and therefore cannot be defamatory. Senator Warren accurately represented publicly available and widely disseminated facts. The “charge” referenced in Senator Warren’s Message
SECRET PARTNERSHIP BONUS for CryptoPotato readers: Use this link to sign up and unlock $1,500 in exclusive BingX Exchange rewards (limited time offer).
