Trump to ‘take a look’ at ‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic’s pardon request
President Donald Trump may be the only person in America who hasn’t binged “Tiger King.”
The president was asked during his Wednesday afternoon coronavirus briefing if he had any plans to pardon Joe Exotic, the star of the smash Netflix docuseries, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for plotting to have a fellow tiger zoo operator killed.
“I know nothing about it,” Trump said, appearing amused at being asked a question that wasn’t about the coronavirus crisis.
When he was informed that Exotic, whose legal name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, claimed he was wrongfully jailed and wants out, the president took interest.
“He has 22 years?” Trump asked. “What did he do?”
Trump asked reporters if they were advocating on Exotic’s behalf and jocularly warned them that would be improper. The president was game, but his level of sincerity was unclear.
“I’ll take a look,” Trump said before moving onto more serious business.
A plea to the president appeared on Exotic’s Facebook page on March 19.
“The Trump Administration must be made aware of the Overreach, perjury, abuse of power and the failure to uphold the Oath of their position which is truth and Justice for all,” the pardon request reads, complete with Trump-style oddly capitalized words.
Donald Trump Jr. joked on a Monday interview on SiriusXM’s “Jim Norton and Sam Roberts” that a pardon might be fun, if only because of the reaction it would get in the media.
“Just for frankly watching the media reaction to this thing. It would be pretty amazing to ultimately see that,” he said.
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