Trump’s Pardon of Binance Founder Zhao Sparks Outrage: ’Special Treatment for Crypto Criminals’

Political firestorm erupts as former president grants clemency to cryptocurrency mogul.

The Crypto Pardon Backlash

Washington explodes with condemnation after Donald Trump's controversial decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. Critics are calling it preferential treatment for wealthy digital asset executives while ordinary citizens face maximum enforcement.

Regulatory Double Standard Exposed

Lawmakers and financial watchdogs blast the move as another example of crypto's 'too big to jail' problem. The same regulators who chase small-time traders for paperwork errors now watch billion-dollar operators walk free with presidential blessings.

Market Reactions and Industry Fallout

Digital asset markets barely flinch—because when you're playing with house money, why would you? Meanwhile, compliance officers at traditional financial institutions grind their teeth wondering why they bother with all those pesky regulations.

The clemency creates a dangerous precedent that undermines years of financial enforcement progress. Another day, another reminder that in crypto, the rules are written in disappearing ink.

TLDR

• Ford reported record Q3 revenue of $50.5 billion, up 9% year-over-year
• Adjusted earnings per share came in at 45 cents, beating analyst estimates of 36 cents
• Ford Pro segment generated $2 billion EBIT while Model e lost $1.4 billion
• Company faced $700 million impact from tariffs during the quarter
• Ford declared a 15 cent per share dividend for Q4 2025

Ford Motor Company delivered a solid third quarter performance, posting revenue of $50.5 billion and net income of $2.4 billion. The results topped Wall Street expectations across key metrics.

$F (Ford Motor) #earnings are out: pic.twitter.com/ZaWjYVGz4O

— The Earnings Correspondent (@earnings_guy) October 23, 2025

The company’s adjusted earnings per share reached 45 cents for the quarter ended September 30. This beat the consensus estimate of 36 cents from eighteen analysts surveyed.

Revenue climbed to $47.19 billion, well above the expected $43.08 billion. The 9.6% increase from the prior year showed continued momentum in Ford’s Core businesses.

Ford Motor Company, F

Ford’s commercial vehicle division proved to be the star performer. The Ford Pro segment pulled in $17.4 billion in revenue and generated $2 billion in EBIT during the quarter.

The electric vehicle business told a different story. Ford Model e reported losses of $1.4 billion as the company continues investing in its transition to electric powertrains.

Ford Blue, the traditional gas-powered vehicle segment, contributed $1.5 billion in EBIT. Revenue growth in this segment outpaced the increase in wholesale unit sales.

Cash Flow and Financial Position

Operating cash FLOW for the quarter reached $7.4 billion. Adjusted free cash flow came in at $4.3 billion, providing Ford with resources for investments and shareholder returns.

Ford Credit delivered strong results with earnings before taxes of $631 million. This marked a 16% increase from the same period last year.

The company absorbed a $700 million hit from tariffs during the quarter. Despite this headwind, adjusted EBIT still reached $2.6 billion.

Ford’s board approved a fourth quarter dividend of 15 cents per share. This continues the company’s commitment to returning cash to shareholders.

Stock Performance and Analyst Views

Ford shares have climbed 25.6% year-to-date through the end of the quarter. The stock gained 3.9% during the three-month period ending September 30.

Wall Street’s median 12-month price target stands at $11.00. This represents a 14.2% discount to the stock’s recent closing price of $12.56.

Analysts have made minimal changes to their earnings estimates recently. In the last 30 days, four analysts revised their projections lower.

The company projects full-year 2025 adjusted EBIT between $6 billion and $6.5 billion. Management expects adjusted free cash Flow of $2 billion to $3 billion for the year.

Ford management plans to focus on propulsion choices, partnerships, and technology decisions as it moves into 2026. The company continues to work through production challenges from the Novelis fire impact.