WASHINGTON, DC — Following Donald Trump’s pardon of ex-President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez – who was convicted on drug-trafficking charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison – the Not Above the Law coalition’s co-chairs – Lisa Gilbert, Co-President of Public Citizen; Praveen Fernandes, Vice President of the Constitutional Accountability Center; Kelsey Herbert, Campaign Director at MoveOn; and Brett Edkins, Managing Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Stand Up America – released the following statement:
“Donald Trump’s pardon of convicted drug trafficker Juan Orlando Hernandez exposes the staggering hypocrisy of this administration’s so-called war on drugs. While Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth bomb alleged low-level drug runners, the elite of the illegal drug trade receive Trump pardons and praise.
“The message couldn’t be clearer: if you’re wealthy, well-connected, and useful to Trump, your crimes don’t matter. Ex-presidents like Hernandez get pardons, even if they boasted that they would ‘stuff the drugs up the gringos’ noses,’ accepted a $1 million bribe from El Chapo, and conspired to distribute over 400 tons of cocaine in the United States. Crypto billionaires get pardons. But those without connections or money are targeted.
“This pardon is a slap in the face to the DEA agents, federal prosecutors, and law enforcement officers who spent years building the case against Hernandez. It betrays American families and communities that were ravaged by his crimes. It shows that Trump believes he can place his allies above the law – destroying the bedrock principle that no one in America should be exempt from justice.”
For questions about our work to hold Trump accountable or to request an interview with a Not Above the Law coalition leader, please email press@focalpointstrategygroup.com.