Trump Addresses Potential Pardon For "Tiger King" Joe Exotic

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the daily coronavirus task force briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 08, 2020 in Washington, DC. Trump vowed to hold back funding for the World Health Organization at the briefing, accusing the organization of having not been aggressive enough in confronting the virus, but later denied saying funding would be withheld, according to published reports.
Donald Trump finally acknowledges Joe Exotic during a press conference.

Netflix's Tiger King has put a spotlight on Joe Exotic, the incarcerated zoo owner who was convicted for his alleged role in alleged murder-for-hire plot. The docuseries arrived just as the world was forced to quarantine, relying on the Netflix catalog to pass the time. Since then, Exotic became an Internet sensation with high-profile names like Cardi B and Trump Jr. advocating for his freedom... sorta.

During his daily Coronavirus press briefing, President Trump was asked about whether he'd ever consider granting Joe Exotic a presidential pardon Noting that the series has received the "biggest rating hits of the coronavirus," reporter Steven Nelson added that Donald Trump Jr. even said the sentencing was a bit "aggressive."

"Must be Don. I had a feeling it was Don," Trump responded. "I know nothing about it. He has 22 years for what?" The silver lining in his response is that we know he hasn't been binging Netflix but he did entertain the possibility of a pardon.

"You think he didn't do it? Are you recommending a pardon?" Trump asked the reporter who attempted to remain neutral in the matter. "I’ll take a look," he jokingly added, though it wouldn't be shocking if Trump did end up making it happen.

A few people gave the reporter flack for bringing up a subject like a Netflix show in the middle of the pandemic. But if you were looking for an answer, today's the day you got one. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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