The Conversation (0)
Todd and Julie Chrisley's Trump pardon
Fox - 5 Atlanta / VideoElephant
Just hours after controversially pardoning Scott Jenkins, Donald Trump's decision to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley has sparked a major backlash.
Trump was recently criticised for pardoning Jenkins - a former sheriff who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “accepting over $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing numerous Northern Virginia businessmen as auxiliary deputy sheriffs within his department”.
Trump has form in this area, too. On the first day of his second term as US president, Trump made the controversial decision to pardon more than 1,500 supporters charged with crimes connected to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Now, he’s facing backlash for his decision to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley.
Who are Todd and Julie Chrisley?
Getty Images
Todd and Julie Chrisley are reality TV stars, best known for their Chrisley Knows Best TV show.
The programme, along with spin-off shows Growing Up Chrisley and According to Chrisley, followed the couple and their family as they ran a business in Atlanta and Nashville, documenting their luxurious lifestyles and complex family relationships.
The Chrisleys were serving prison sentences for fraud and tax evasion.
They were convicted in 2022 and sentenced to 12 years (Todd) and seven years (Julie). The White House confirmed the couple’s full pardons on Tuesday.
Speaking in a video posted by special assistant and communications advisor Margo Martin, Trump explained he would be pardoning them.
"President Trump calls @_ItsSavannah_ to inform her that he will be granting full pardons to her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley! Trump Knows Best!" the post read.
Speaking to their children during a phone call from the Oval Office Tuesday, Trump said: “Your parents are going to be free and clean and I hope we’re going to do it by tomorrow.”
“They were given pretty harsh treatment based on what I’m hearing,” he added.
Trump faces backlash over Todd and Julie Chrisley pardon
The reaction to the news has been widespread, with many social media users posting outraged messages about Trump’s decision.
“Trump just pardoned TV personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley, who conspired to defraud Atlanta-area banks out of $30 million in fraudulent loans. In Trump’s America, crimes are celebrated and prison sentences are cut short,” said Harry Sisson, a Democratic influencer, on X, calling it “actual insanity”.
The Call to Activism account wrote: "Trump just pardoned reality show couple Todd and Julie Chrisley. They were convicted for a multimillion dollar bank fraud scheme involving fake documents and tax evasion. Meanwhile, he's deporting people without due process. What a joke."
Commentator Alex Cole wrote: "Nothing screams 'law and order' like giving a get-out-of-jail-free card to rich white tax cheats who support you."
Why not read…
- Trump slammed as he marks yet another federal holiday with a ‘shameful’ rant
- Trump is facing criticism for pardoning Scott Jenkins - but who is he?
How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel
Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
Top 100
