Pardoning Ross consequentially won Trump support from people who might not have backed him otherwise—including Ross himself, who just wore a red Trump tribute tie to Bitcoin 2025 in gratitude. The move resonated with Libertarian voters and fulfilled a high-profile campaign promise. For Trump, it was no skin off his back—this is what he does. He does things for people in exchange for loyalty. Trump still hasn’t pardoned Snowden, as Obama commuted Chelsea Manning’s sentence.

My post from Jan 20, 2025: