Trump Pardons Two Mechanics at Alaska Rally

During a rally in Alaska on Tuesday, President Trump announced the pardoning of two diesel truck mechanics, claiming they were “wrongfully charged” under the Biden administration.

He signed the pardons for Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming while campaigning for GOP incumbents Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich. “They wanted to put them in jail for 10 years because they fixed an engine,” Trump stated. “How sick.”

Trump mentioned he had learned about their case, did some research, and decided to give them “unconditional pardons.” White House aide Natalie Harp presented the pardons to Trump for him to sign.

With a quip, he remarked on the nature of pardons, saying, “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard, when you give somebody a pardon they say that means – and I don’t know how this works and why it’s an expression, but it’s well used – that means you’re as clean as a newborn baby’s ass.”

He then invited Czubak and Fleming to come on stage, where they received their signed pardons. Fleming expressed heartfelt gratitude, stating, “This means the world to me. It’s everything.” He continued, “We’re not criminals. We’re not trying to hurt anybody. We want to help Alaskans. We want to help people with diesel trucks, with vehicles, you know, across the world… I can’t thank him enough.”

Both men had pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy charges related to the Clean Air Act. They were accused of tampering with mandated environmental monitoring devices and removing pollution control equipment from at least 37 vehicles between July 2019 and September 2020. Each faced substantial fines and probation as part of their sentences.

As the mechanics left the stage, Trump said, “Enjoy your lives, fellas,” labeling the charges against them as “crazy.”

The rally also featured Trump’s comments on Alaskan politics, warning about a “fake Dan Sullivan” on the ballot, suggesting that a retired teacher was an imposter put forth by Democrats to confuse voters. He mentioned how the “fake” Sullivan had a small percentage of the vote that could impact the outcomes in November.

Additionally, Trump urged those present to repeal what he termed the “ranked-choice voting scam,” asserting that it was merely a tactic for cheating.