Trump states "No pardon"! SBF sentenced to 25 years in prison, parents' efforts to save their child shattered

Once a dominant figure in the crypto world, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) originally hoped that U.S. President Donald Trump could be his “lifeline” out of prison. Now, that hope has officially been dashed. In an exclusive interview with The New York Times, Trump clearly stated that he does not intend to use his presidential pardon power to shorten SBF’s 25-year sentence.

The interview touched on several high-profile legal cases. When discussing his refusal to pardon rapper “Diddy,” who is embroiled in a sex scandal, Trump then turned his attention to the fallen former crypto star, openly stating that SBF is not on his “mercy list.”

During SBF’s incarceration, his parents—former Stanford Law Professor Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman—have reportedly spared no effort. They are said to have frequently traveled between Washington D.C. and Trump’s inner circle of lawyers, attempting to lobby for a pardon.

Recently, SBF has been actively engaging in “image rehabilitation” on social media platform X, posting multiple pro-Republican comments and even praising Trump’s decision to pardon former Honduran President. He appears to be trying to curry favor with this “crypto president.” However, Trump clearly isn’t biting. Despite considering himself a strong supporter of digital assets and running a cryptocurrency business, Trump has made it clear that he is distancing himself from SBF’s massive fraud case.

Interestingly, SBF and “Diddy” not only share the same appellate lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, but it is also rumored that they once shared a cell at Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), becoming a peculiar story of prison life.

In the interview, Trump not only refused to help SBF but also listed a series of individuals he would “absolutely not rescue,” including former New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, involved in corruption, and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was recently detained crossing the U.S. border and faces terrorism charges.