Joe Exotic complains after Trump denies infamous zookeeper pardon
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Jan 23, 2021
In more ways than one.
Tiger King star's name began trending on Twitter ahead of the announcement of the pardon list. He did not make the list of 140 pardons and commutations awarded by Donald Trump on Wednesday morning. But it was too little, too late.
In the tale of two narcissists, Tiger King's Joe Exotic is reportedly expecting a presidential pardon from Donald Trump before Joe Biden is inaugurated as the next president of the U.S. tomorrow (Janunary 20). Boy, were we all stupid to believe that he actually represented Equal Justice? "His corrupt friends all come first". He also would have been unable to run for a political position or vote in elections.
The speculation over Exotic being pardoned comes as CNN reports President Trump will pardon up to 100 people in the final hours of his administration.
Reactions to Exotic's confidence in the pardon range from jokes to abject terror. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Exotic, 57, whose real name is Joe Maldonado-Passage, became a breakout star thanks to the popularity of the eight-part series "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness". He was sending Trump handwritten letters referencing the president's own legal battles, with Exotic saying: "I see what they do to you, and I can't believe it".
Presidential pardons are intended as a show of mercy to offenders who demonstrate contrition for their actions, according to The Times' Eli Stokols and Laura King, but few of Trump's picks have done that.
Lil Wayne pleaded guilty last month to possessing a loaded, gold-plated handgun when his chartered jet landed in Miami in December 2019.
The team later sued the department for refusing his request.
Trump pardoned several of his close allies, including Steve Bannon, accused of defrauding donors over the former president's wall along the border with Mexico.
Tiger King mania seems so long ago, doesn't it?
"Tiger King" became a pop-culture phenomenon previous year when it debuted on Netflix.
