The White House has provided an official comment regarding the decision to pardon Changpeng Zhao, the former CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stated that each request for a pardon undergoes thorough scrutiny involving the Department of Justice and a special group of experts before reaching the desk of President Donald Trump.
This is reported by Finway
Trump Administration’s Response to Democratic Criticism
The decision to pardon Changpeng Zhao, made at the end of October 2025, has sparked lively debate among members of the Democratic Party. Some Democratic politicians have called for the Department of Justice to conduct a full investigation, highlighting possible connections between Binance and the Trump family’s cryptocurrency business. Meanwhile, Trump himself noted that he is not personally acquainted with Zhao, but referred to his case as an example of the anti-cryptocurrency policies of the previous administration under President Joe Biden.
Official White House Position on the Zhao Case
During the briefing, Caroline Levitt emphasized that the White House takes all requests for pardons very seriously, and the president is aware of the responsibility that rests on him when making such decisions.
“When it comes to pardons, the White House treats this matter with utmost seriousness. The president fully understands the responsibility that lies with him when considering the request of any individual.”
According to the press secretary, in Zhao’s case, not only the conclusions of experts were taken into account, but also the position of the judge, who believed that the punishment proposed by the prosecution was “excessive and overly harsh.” Levitt also noted that Trump was inclined from the outset to support the pardoning of individuals whom he believed had faced biased treatment from the Biden administration.
During the same briefing, other important issues were discussed at the White House, including the government shutdown situation, the ongoing conflict in Sudan, and the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding the legitimacy of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.