US President Donald Trump has announced that he has granted pardons to six people he says were unfairly prosecuted by the Biden administration for “fixing their car.” While Trump framed the cases as examples of government overreach, White House officials have clarified that the convictions stemmed from violations of the Clean Air Act, not routine vehicle repairs.
The announcement was made Friday in a post on Truth Social, where Trump argued that the six individuals had been victims of what he called the “weaponization” of the Justice Department.
What did Trump say?
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for ‘fixing their car.’”
Calling the prosecutions an example of the “Weaponization and Stupidity” under former President Joe Biden, Trump added: “I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!”
Trump did not identify the six individuals or provide details about their cases.
What were they actually convicted of?
According to a senior White House official cited by CNN, the pardons were granted to individuals convicted of violating the Clean Air Act, a federal law that regulates air pollution and vehicle emissions.
The cases involved the use or installation of “defeat devices”, software or hardware modifications designed to bypass federally mandated emissions controls on vehicles. Such devices allow vehicles to emit pollutants above legal limits, making their manufacture, sale or installation a violation of federal law.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department directed federal prosecutors to drop pending criminal investigations and cases involving defeat devices, marking a shift in the administration’s approach to such prosecutions.
Why did Trump issue the pardons?
Trump has repeatedly argued that the Justice Department under the Biden administration unfairly targeted individuals through politically motivated prosecutions.
His Truth Social post described the six recipients as people who had been “persecuted” rather than legitimately prosecuted, portraying the pardons as part of his broader effort to reverse what he has frequently called the “weaponization” of the federal government.
According to CNN, Trump met with senior White House officials on Friday before approving the latest round of pardons.
Part of Trump’s clemency push
The latest action adds to Trump’s growing use of presidential pardon powers during his second term.
CNN has reported that Trump has taken an increasingly direct role in deciding clemency requests. The review process is handled by senior officials, including White House Special Counsel David Warrington, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and US Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, before recommendations are presented to the president for final approval.
At the time of publication, neither Trump nor the White House had publicly identified the six people who received the pardons or released additional details about their individual cases.
