Sam Bankman-Fried, former FTX founder, expressed disappointment with Biden's policies and sympathy for Trump, hoping for a pardon.
Bankman-Fried Criticizes Biden, Praises Trump
Sam Bankman-Fried, once a major Democratic donor, now voices frustration with the Biden administration. In the interview, he stated, "I became really frustrated and disappointed with what I saw of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party." His new rhetoric closely aligns with Trump's frequent claims of political persecution by the Department of Justice. Bankman-Fried also expressed admiration for Elon Musk's aggressive stance on reducing bureaucracy, saying, "Some things actually do need more than a 10% cut. They need a 30, 50, 70% [cut]."
A Bid for Pardon
Bankman-Fried's 25-year sentence for fraud has led his family to seek clemency from Trump, according to reports from Bloomberg. If successful, this wouldn’t be the first time Trump has pardoned a figure from the crypto world. In 2024, Trump granted clemency to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road. SBF's former associate, Ryan Salame, also sought Trump's help, claiming he was a victim of political persecution.
Connection with Trump
Bankman-Fried pointed out that Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over his trial, was also involved in Trump's defamation case against journalist E. Jean Carroll. Danielle Sassoon, the prosecutor in the FTX case, recently resigned after tensions with Trump's DOJ. Bankman-Fried suggested that politics played a role in his conviction, saying, "When politics get involved — both in a partisan sense and in career advancement for law enforcement — it blows everything out of proportion."
Sam Bankman-Fried's latest interview shows a calculated political shift, likely aimed at securing a pardon from Trump. While Trump has shown willingness to pardon controversial figures, SBF's case remains a long shot.
