Which Celebrities Did — and Didn’t — Make the Final List of Trump’s Presidential Pardons?
Lil Wayne. Photo credit: Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images.
President Donald Trump has released his much anticipated final slate of pardons and commutations, which included two celebrities.
The full list of 143 names, included several high-profile political figures, like former White House adviser Steve Bannon and former RNC finance chair Elliott Broidy. Among the highest profile names on the list from the entertainment world were rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.
Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter Jr. and is a vocal Trump supporter, pleaded guilty to carrying a loaded gun on his private jet in December. The rapper had already been banned from owning a gun due to past felony charges. Trump granted him a full pardon.
Lil Wayne drew swift heat — and mockery — from other musicians and fans after he posted a picture with the president ahead of the November election:
Just had a great meeting with @realdonaldtrump @potus besides what he’s done so far with criminal reform, the platinum plan is going to give the community real ownership. He listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done. ?? pic.twitter.com/Q9c5k1yMWf
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) October 29, 2020
Following news of Lil Wayne’s arrest, 50 Cent took to Twitter to suggest that Trump pardon him.
“Wait a minute Trump still got 63 days left, call him Wayne. Get that fool on the phone,” 50 Cent wrote, adding. “They gonna try to put you in jail for supporting Trump”
Kodak Black, real name Bill Kahan Kapri, is currently serving a 46-month sentence for forging paperwork to obtain a firearm. He too praised Trump on Twitter before the 2020 election, specifically highlighting the president’s Platinum Plan:
What do you think of the platinum plan? @bradfordcohen sent it to me and I read it ,this is what the community needs…. more ownership. That plan is right! I want to help with justice reform when I am out as well. @realDonaldTrump #justicereform #prisonreform
— Kodak Black (@KodakBlack1k) October 26, 2020
“That plan is right!” Black wrote. “I want to help with justice reform when I am out as well.”
Well, now he really might be able to, as Trump commuted his sentence on Wednesday morning.
Following a successful campaign from the rapper’s lawyer Bradford Cohen, prominent celebrities including Yo Gotti, Jake Paul, Lil Yachty, Lil Pump, and Lamar Jackson lobbied Trump to pardon Kodak Black with the hashtag freekodak. The rapper also said, in a now-deleted tweet, that he would donate $1 million to charity if freed by the president.
Joe Exotic (Joseph Maldonado-Passage), currently in prison for animal abuse and murder-for-hire convictions, had also been campaigning for a presidential pardon, and was reportedly confident he was going to get one. CNN’s Jim Acosta even reported just hours before the list was released that some in Trump’s inner circle were worried Exotic would enjoy clemency while other Trump loyalists were passed over.
Exotic had formally appealed for a pardon from his 22-year murder-for-hire sentence in September when his legal team hand delivered a copy of the application to the White House.The reality star’s team reportedly had a limo parked near his prison all day, with a hair and makeup team ready, just in case Trump decided to grant him clemency.
But to no avail.
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