Trump Discusses Cryptocurrency Founder During 60 Minutes Interview

In a recent interview on 60 Minutes, President Trump remarked on a variety of topics, including his connection—or lack thereof—to a billionaire founder of a cryptocurrency exchange. He stated he had only recently learned about him.

Last month, Trump granted a pardon to Qiao Changpeng, the founder of Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange. Trump suggested that Changpeng had been unjustly targeted by the Biden administration.

During the interview, correspondent Norah O’Donnell asked Trump about Changpeng, to which he replied, “I don’t know who he is. I know he was sentenced to four months in prison or something. And I heard it was a Biden witch hunt.”

O’Donnell pointed out that Binance had recently purchased World Liberty Financial’s stablecoin for $2 billion, a move which bolstered the profile and value of the company founded by Trump’s sons, Eric Jr. and Donald Jr., among others.

When asked about the issue of “pay-to-play,” Trump responded, “Well, here’s the problem, but I don’t know anything about it because I’m busy doing other things—” He appeared somewhat sidetracked.

O’Donnell pressed on, stating, “But he got a pardon.”

To this, Trump replied, “That’s all I can say—” before O’Donnell reiterated, “He got a pardon.”

Trump continued, “No, I can tell you this: My sons are into it. I’m glad they’re into it, because crypto is probably a great industry. I think that’s a good thing. You know, they’re running businesses, they’re not in government.”

Both Trump’s sons and World Liberty Financial have denied any wrongdoing associated with the pardon.

Changpeng, who is often called CZ, pleaded guilty two years ago to charges related to money laundering. He received a four-month prison sentence, and Binance has been barred from operating in the U.S.

At the time of his plea, the government suggested that Changpeng’s actions had posed a significant threat to U.S. national security by facilitating financial transactions for groups like Hamas.

After announcing the pardon, Trump was questioned about the motivations behind his decision and whether it had ties to his family’s cryptocurrency business. “A lot of people said he was innocent,” Trump stated.

He added, “I don’t know him. I don’t think I’ve ever met him. He had tremendous support, but what he did was not even a crime. It wasn’t a crime. It was that he was persecuted by the Biden administration. That’s why I pardoned him at the request of a lot of very good people.”