- Donald Trump gave his first 60 Minutes interview in five years, discussing crypto, foreign policy, and government issues.
- Trump said he did not know Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and claimed the Biden administration wrongfully targeted him.
- Trump defended pardoning Zhao, who pleaded guilty to violating anti-money-laundering laws in 2023.
- He denied knowledge about Binance’s $2 billion purchase of his family’s stablecoin firm, World Liberty Financial.
- Lawmakers have raised concerns about the pardon and proposed tighter ethics rules on digital asset trading by officials.
Donald Trump appeared in his first 60 Minutes interview in five years, addressing topics including the government shutdown, foreign policy, and cryptocurrency. The interview was filmed at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
During the conversation, Trump explained his decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who had pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating anti-money-laundering laws. Trump stated he was unaware of Zhao personally and described the prosecution as politically motivated by the previous administration.
Asked about the pardon, Trump said, “Okay, are you ready? I don’t know who he is. I know he got a four-month sentence or something like that. And I heard it was a Biden witch hunt.” He called Zhao a “respected” entrepreneur and referred to him as a “victim of weaponization by government.”
When questioned on the $2 billion transaction where Binance acquired his family’s stablecoin company World Liberty Financial, Trump replied that he knew “nothing about it” and was “too busy” with other matters. He emphasized that his sons’ involvement in crypto was separate from government duties, saying, “They’re running a business, they’re not in government.”
Trump framed his actions as part of a broader strategy to keep the U.S. “number one in crypto” amid global competition, similarly to America’s position in Artificial Intelligence. He said, “I wanna make crypto great for America. That’s the only thing.”
The pardon has drawn criticism from Democrats who suggest Binance influenced Trump’s crypto dealings, highlighting payments and lobbying linked to World Liberty Financial. Some lawmakers, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff, are pursuing a congressional review and pushing for stricter ethics rules that would bar officials from trading or holding digital assets.
Speculation about the pardon first emerged in December 2024, months before Trump took office, amid reports of backchannel lobbying in the digital-asset sector. A resolution questioning the pardon’s propriety is ongoing, signaling continued scrutiny on ties between Binance and the Trump administration.
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