rightist policies are no better.
Throughout his administrations, Donald Trump has utilized his constitutional pardon and commutation powers to grant clemency to several high-profile individuals convicted of drug-related offenses, fraud, and other serious crimes. While Trump has consistently advocated for harsh penalties on drug dealers, including the death penalty, his clemency decisions have sparked significant public debate and bipartisan criticism. [
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Notable figures and actions include:
- Juan Orlando Hernández: In late 2025, Trump granted a full pardon to the former President of Honduras, who had been sentenced to 45 years in a U.S. federal prison for large-scale cocaine trafficking and weapons offenses.
- Ross Ulbricht: Trump pardoned the creator of the "Silk Road" dark web marketplace, who had been serving a double life sentence for facilitating the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of illegal drugs and money laundering.
- Larry Hoover: Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, the leader of the Gangster Disciples street gang, who was serving multiple life sentences for crimes that included murder and directing massive drug syndicates.
- Alice Marie Johnson: During his first term, Trump commuted the life sentence of a woman convicted for her role in a large-scale cocaine trafficking ring and later appointed her to serve as a pardon advisor.
- Hanid Ortiz: The Trump administration also facilitated the return to the U.S. of Hanid Ortiz, a U.S. citizen and convicted triple murderer, after he had been convicted by a Venezuelan court for killings committed in Spain. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]