President Donald Trump is under fire after granting full pardons to reality television personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were serving lengthy prison sentences for fraud and tax evasion. Best known for their USA Network series, ‘Chrisley Knows Best,’ the couple was convicted in 2022 for conspiring to defraud banks in the Atlanta area out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie received a seven-year sentence.
The White House confirmed the pardons on Tuesday. In a phone call from the Oval Office with the couple’s children, Trump said: “Your parents are going to be free and clean and I hope we’re going to do it by tomorrow.” He added, “They were given pretty harsh treatment based on what I’m hearing.”
The decision sparked widespread outrage, including among some of Trump’s usual supporters. “Trump just pardoned TV personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley, who conspired to defraud Atlanta-area banks out of $30 million in fraudulent loans,” political commentator Harry Sisson wrote on X. “In Trump’s America, crimes are celebrated and prison sentences are cut short.”
Sisson also pointed to other controversial pardons Trump issued alongside the Chrisleys, including a Virginia sheriff convicted of accepting more than $75,000 in bribes—whom Trump praised as a “wonderful person”—and a man found guilty of serious tax crimes whose mother was a major donor to Trump’s campaign. “This is blatant corruption,” Sisson added.
“It’s favoritism”
The pardons also ignited a wave of backlash online, where users criticized the decision as corrupt and emblematic of Trump’s selective use of justice. “Trump’s pardons of the Chrisleys are proof he can be easily bribed by just kissing his ass,” one user wrote. “He couldn’t care less if these criminals defraud banks or break the law.” Another commenter fumed, “Trump pardons the tax-dodging, fraudster Chrisleys. This country is a joke.” “Trump just pardoned Todd Chrisley—because of course he did,” one post read. “White-collar fraud, tax evasion, reality TV… exactly his brand. This isn’t justice. It’s a pay-to-play game show where the rich buy redemption while the rest of us rot.” Others echoed the sentiment, with one user stating: “This isn’t justice, it’s favoritism. If you’re famous, loyal, or connected, the rules don’t apply. The rest of us would still be in prison. Corruption, plain and simple.”