Trump pardons Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, but not ‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic

According to Donald Trump’s press team, he had a pretty full last month in office, during which he made “many calls” and had “many meetings.” But it was his final day in office that seemed to be the busiest, when he issued 73 pardons and commuted 70 sentences. As expected, the outgoing U.S. president indeed pardoned Lil Wayne and fellow rapper Kodak Black. Unexpectedly though, Trump did not give out a pardon to the Tiger King himself, a.k.a. Joe Exotic.

In an official White House release issued on January 20, Trump revealed that Lil Wayne, whose legal name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., has been granted a full pardon. The rapper was facing up to 10 years in prison after police found drugs and a weapon on his private plane in December 2019. “Mr. Carter has exhibited generosity through commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of foodbanks,” reads the release. The release also quotes former football and baseball star Deion Sanders, who wrote in support of the pardon. Mr. Wayne is “a provider for his family, a friend to many, a man of faith, a natural giver to the less fortunate, a waymaker, [and] a game changer,” he wrote.

The rapper isn’t the only famous face to receive a pardon. While Trump declined to pardon himself or his children in order to make any legal matters for himself less complicated down the line, he did give clemency to former adviser Steve Bannon, former Republican National Committee chairman Elliott Broidy, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and former New York Observer editor Ken Kurson. Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez and rapper Kodak Black were also on the list.

However, one of the most famous faces expecting a pardon this week wasn’t even mentioned. Joe Exotic, the man who shot to fame in early 2020 when Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness debuted on Netflix, is still in prison. His team had revealed earlier in the week that they were so sure of Joe’s clemency that they even had a limo and beauty crew waiting outside FMC Fort Worth in Texas. That’s where Joe (born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel) is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for plotting to murder Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin and for violating many wildlife laws.

Many of the Tiger King’s fans were just as surprised as his team probably was to learn that Trump did not include him on the final list of pardons. “Tiger King” started trending on Twitter (yet again) following the news as fans, celebrities, and everyone else who has been following this story shared their reactions to the idea that Joe will probably be spending the next couple of decades behind bars after all. 

Joe Exotic might not have made the final pardon list, but he wasn’t the only person followers thought would get a pass. Many had hoped that Trump would include WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden on his final list, but both men failed to secure such pardons. Donald Trump officially exits the White House on January 20, when incoming president Joe Biden is sworn in.

BEFORE YOU GO: This newborn baby monkey is the cutest thing we've ever seen