America’s Crime Boss

By Rob C.

Art by Drew Sheneman

Donald Trump didn’t just use the pardon pen—he created a crimewave. His pardons aren’t about mercy or redemption; it’s about power, loyalty, and the payoff. MSNBC’s Chris Hayes didn’t mince words last week calling Trump “the most unabashedly pro-criminal President in my lifetime”. He’s pardoning thousands of Jan. 6 rioters, white-collar hucksters, and self-dealing grifters, because who better to free prisoners than someone deeply familiar with getting away with grand-scale grift himself? That’s not hyperbole. It’s fact. Because while he’s granting pardons like party favors, the rest of us are picking up the tab—and watching our democracy burn.

Pardons for Sale

On Day One of his second term, Trump issued 1,500 full, unconditional pardons to individuals tied to the January 6 Capitol riot—including Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. He also ordered DOJ to drop all pending indictments. Justice? Only if you dress in tactical gear and attacked police officers.

His pardons created a large business among lobbyists to advocate for pardons from wealthy clients who paid millions. These people, some of who donated to Trump, were able to buy their way out of prison. Recipients ranged from Capitol rioters and anti-abortion protesters to a wave of white-collar crooks who owed us billions in restitution.

Treasury-busting examples:

• Devon Archer, business partner of Hunter Biden—pardoned for his role in defrauding a Native American tribe of over $43 million.

• Trevor Milton, Nikola fraudster, slapped with a four-year sentence and $600 million in restitution—but walked free anyway.

• Reality TV con artists Todd and Julie Chrisley, who bilked people out of $22.5 million, were also pardoned.

• Then there’s the crypto-empire crooks—Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Samuel Reed, even HDR Global Trading—all absolved of federal money-laundering violations and fines.

· Ross Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road darknet marketplace—arguably the largest narcotics facilitator in U.S. history—got a full pardon. Even drug kingpins would crumple beside that audacity. Add in Rod Blagojevich (convicted for corruption), it’s clear: these aren’t one-off acts of mercy—they’re loyalty rewards.

His generosity costs taxpayers dearly—Trump’s second-term clemency grants have forgiven more than $1.3 billion in restitution and fines.

The DOJ’s own guidelines say pardons should go to those who show remorse and make restitution—criteria Trump spat on by pardoning convicts before they even served their sentences. The Trump Mafia bargain: “Do me a favor? You’re free.”

Our Pro Crime President

A Convicted Triple Murderer is freed in Trump Prisoner Swap

Dahud Hanid Ortiz, a dual U.S.–Venezuelan citizen and former U.S. Marine, was convicted in Venezuela in 2024 for the brutal 2016 triple homicide in Madrid, Spain—where he murdered two law firm employees and a client, and set the office on fire to cover-up his crimes. Despite Spain’s extradition request, he was tried and sentenced to 30 years in prison by Venezuelan courts because Venezuela refuses to extradite its citizens. As part of a high-profile prisoner exchange negotiated by the Trump administration in July 2025, Ortiz was released into the U.S.

It’s performance art in pinstripes. He pardons insider donors, campaign financiers, and violent criminals—and calls them patriots. The white-collar fraudsters get off not because they deserve it—but because he knows they’re his people.

A President on the Take

But pardons are just the opening act. Trump’s been cashing in on the office of the President, laundering power through unauthorized self-dealing:

• He sells NFTs, luxury Bibles, watches, even sneakers adorned with his logo to hotel-goers and followers—a clear violation of the Emoluments Clause. But the Supreme Court’s been conveniently silent—perhaps distracted by stock options and donor deals of their own.

• His administration has ignored prosecuting financial crimes—DOJ now deprioritizes corporate fraud, while street crime gets all the attention Vox. Powerful corporations skate free, while Trump sympathizes publicly with looters.

This isn’t just corruption—it’s constructing a kleptocracy with Trump as the shambling frontman, a pawn in service of the oligarchy.

Pedophile in Chief

The worse part? Trump isn’t just corrupt; he's predatory. Trump hasn’t just been accused of horrific sexual crimes—he’s been convicted. He’s bragged about invading pageant dressing rooms full of naked teens. He’s had a decades-long friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, paid hush money to child sex abuse accusers. Ghislaine Maxwell’s jail-house endorsement and subsequent special treatment isn’t just a favor for a fellow criminal, it’s an insurance policy against the truth being revealed. His disdain for the law isn’t a protest against persecution—it’s a strategy to stay out of prison.

A Dark Reality, A Clear Warning

If we don’t resist and take a stand to demand justice—we will watch our country disappear. But if we hold them accountable, remember the victims, and follow the truth even when it’s ugly, we can defeat this crime boss.

The enablers may shield him for now, but we the people—with our votes, our voice, and our resolve—will eventually deliver justice.

In my book Democracy for Sale, I trace how the billionaire class has turned governance into grift. Trump isn’t an aberration—he’s the logical conclusion of decades where money always wins. We don’t need another ruling class. We need a rebellion.