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President Donald Trump issued a sweeping new round of pardons Wednesday, extending clemency to a mix of political allies, celebrities, and high-profile figures with criminal pasts, including rapper NBA YoungBoy, a former Connecticut governor, and a Chicago gang leader once deemed one of America’s most dangerous inmates.
The move, confirmed by two senior White House officials, comes as Trump intensifies his use of executive clemency during his second term, and highlights the growing influence of Alice Marie Johnson — a former federal prisoner turned Trump ally — now serving as his unofficial “pardon czar.”
Among the most prominent pardons is that of Kentrell Gaulden, known by his stage name NBA YoungBoy, who was serving time on federal weapons charges and had pleaded guilty to participating in a prescription drug fraud scheme in Utah.
“I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist,” Gaulden said in a statement posted to social media.
High-Profile Names and Familiar Faces
The president also commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a once-feared gang leader who co-founded the Gangster Disciples in Chicago. Hoover, serving six life sentences since the 1990s on drug trafficking and murder convictions, has in recent years distanced himself from his past, filing clemency petitions and claiming rehabilitation.
Other recipients of Trump’s latest clemency effort include:
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Michael Grimm, a former Republican congressman from New York who served eight months in prison for tax fraud and was left paralyzed after a 2023 horse accident.
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John Rowland, the Republican former governor of Connecticut, convicted in two campaign finance-related scandals.
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James Callahan, a New York labor union leader who admitted to failing to report over $300,000 in illicit gifts from an advertising firm.
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Lt. Mark Bradshaw, a U.S. Army officer who defied COVID-19 testing protocols during the pandemic, and was convicted in 2022.
Trump also pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality TV series Chrisley Knows Best, who were convicted of orchestrating a massive bank fraud scheme involving more than $30 million in bogus loans. Trump reportedly made the decision after speaking with their daughter Savannah, who delivered a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Alice Marie Johnson’s Expanding Role
Central to many of the clemency efforts is Alice Marie Johnson, whom Trump previously pardoned in 2020 after commuting her life sentence in 2018. Johnson has emerged as a trusted adviser on clemency and was seen in the Oval Office this week during several clemency deliberations.
Her influence has increasingly shaped Trump’s pardon priorities — blending criminal justice reform with high-profile appeals from political allies, celebrities, and activists.
A Pattern of Pardons and Political Impact
Trump’s latest clemency wave underscores a familiar pattern from his first term: using the pardon power to reward loyalty, signal cultural connections, and boost his image as a populist president with little regard for convention.
Critics have charged that the clemency process under Trump lacks transparency and favors public figures over ordinary petitioners. Legal experts and watchdogs warn that it may erode public confidence in the justice system.
Still, the pardons may energize parts of Trump’s political base. Supporters have framed the acts as both compassionate and defiant, particularly with regard to criminal justice reform and the president’s perceived war against bureaucratic overreach.
