Trump Pardons Crypto 'Criminal,' Media Forgets His Own History
Al Jazeera breathlessly runs a speculative piece from a future date on whether Trump pardoning cryptocurrency executive Changpeng Zhao would be a 'conflict of interest.' The article dutifully notes Zhao is a 'convicted criminal' who founded a major crypto exchange. One might wonder if Al Jazeera’s investigative rigor extends to the sheer volume of actual , non-speculative pardons and commutations
given by every single president , often to high-value donors, political allies, or even family members, without a peep about 'conflict of interest' from mainstream outlets. (Remember Marc Rich, pardoned by Clinton on his last day after his ex-wife donated millions to the Democrats? Or George W. Bush's Scooter Libby?) The media's selective outrage over Trump's hypothetical future actions (a full
year out, apparently) rather than scrutinizing the present, verifiable favors for the well-connected, makes one ponder whose interests are truly being served. Is it justice, or merely setting the stage for choreographed 'outrage' when the next election cycle requires it?