President Trump reiterated his claim that he doesn’t know who Binance founder Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao is during an interview with CBS News.
Trump granted Zhao a presidential pardon in October, nearly a year after the Binance founder pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act and serving a four-month prison sentence.
Trump told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell that Zhao “was treated really badly by the Biden administration,” describing the former Binance CEO as a “victim of weaponization by government.” The president added that he had been told Zhao “was set up,” and that his pardon was intended to ensure the U.S. remained competitive in the cryptocurrency sector.
“I don’t know the man at all. I don’t think I ever met him,” Trump said during the interview with CBS. “Maybe I did. Or, you know, somebody shook my hand or something. But I don’t think I ever met him. I have no idea who he is. I was told that he was a victim, just like I was and just like many other people.”
During the CBS interview, Trump dismissed questions about conflicts of interest, emphasizing his focus on keeping the U.S. “number one in crypto” and insisting his sons’ business ventures were separate from government.
“My sons are into it. I’m glad they are,” he said. “They’re running a business, they’re not in government.”
Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have called the pardon a clear example of “pay for play,” noting Zhao’s financial ties to Trump-affiliated ventures.
A lawyer representing Zhao told the New York Post that he considers Warren’s statements defamatory.
