Trump’s Controversial Pardon of Honduran Ex-President Draws Praise from SBF
US President Donald Trump’s full pardon of former Honduran leader Juan Orlando Hernández on December 2, 2025, has sparked sharp reactions. Hernández, convicted in 2024 on drug trafficking and weapons charges, was serving a 45-year sentence for facilitating the movement of hundreds of tons of cocaine to the US.
The decision drew immediate praise from Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced FTX founder currently serving a 25-year sentence. "I’m so glad Juan Orlando is free—few are more deserving than him," Bankman-Fried posted on X, referencing their shared time in a US prison dormitory.
Critics argue the pardon undermines anti-trafficking efforts and comes at a politically sensitive moment ahead of Honduras’ elections. Supporters counter that it rectifies an unjust prosecution.