Trump grants clemency to a collection of individuals, among them the rap artist infamously recognized as 'NBA YoungBoy'.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump granted pardons to a diverse group of individuals on Wednesday, including a former New York congressman, a Connecticut governor, a well-known rapper, and a labour union leader, among others.
The pardons marked an extension of Trump's willingness to grant clemency to loyalists, supporters, donors, and friends. Alice Marie Johnson, whom Trump recently appointed as his pardon czar following her receiving a pardon from him in 2020, appears to have influenced some of these decisions.
In a notable move, Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader currently serving a life sentence at a supermax prison in Colorado. First imprisoned for a murder in 1973 and later convicted of running a criminal enterprise in 1998, Hoover has since renounced his criminal past and sought a reduced sentence. He remains incarcerated on state charges.
Amongst the pardoned individuals was Louisiana rapper NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden. Known for his stage moniker "Never Broke Again," Gaulden was sentenced to nearly two years in prison in 2024 for gun-related charges after acknowledging his possession of weapons despite his status as a convicted felon. He also pleaded guilty to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring in Utah.
Additional pardons were granted to James Callahan, a New York union leader who admitted to failing to report $315,000 in gifts from an advertising firm and was about to be sentenced. John Rowland, a former Republican governor of Connecticut who served from 1995 to 2004 and was subsequently sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for laws related to concealing his involvement in two federal election campaigns, also received a pardon.
Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who formerly served in Congress and was convicted of tax fraud, was also pardoned. Despite being under indictment for underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant he managed, Grimm won reelection in 2014. He resigned after pleading guilty and serving eight months in prison. Last year, Grimm was left paralyzed from the chest down following an accident while riding a horse.
Army Lt. Mark Bradshaw, who was convicted in 2022 for reporting to work without undergoing a COVID-19 test, also received a pardon from Trump.
Alice Marie Johnson, who was convicted in 1996 for her involvement in a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation, previously received a pardon from Trump in 2018. After being released, she spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention's final night and was subsequently pardoned by Trump. She has since been named his pardons czar.
The pardon of NBA YoungBoy, a Louisiana rapper, was granted for gun-related charges and his involvement in a prescription drug fraud ring, shifts the conversation to the intersection of lifestyle and crime-and-justice. The cable news channels and online media outlets might discuss the unexpected pardon under the general-news section, considering the public interest in the famous rapper's legal troubles.
With the pardoning of a union leader, James Callahan, and a former governor, John Rowland, the politics category in video news segments might expand to explore the intricacies of corruption and forgiveness, as both individuals had been sentenced for concealing their involvement in election campaigns and accepting gifts.
