The Most Famous People Donald Trump Has Pardoned

If there's one thing Donald Trump loves about his job, it's probably the ability to dole out pardons, given how much he's flexed this power since he was first elected president. Just one month into his second term in office, Trump shot up to second place on the leaderboard for the most presidential pardons handed out in modern U.S. history, just below Harry Truman.

By the end of November 2025, Trump had granted clemency to nearly 1,800 individuals with no signs of stopping. The majority of those were controversial pardons given to around 1,500 people who were convicted or charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. However, it's not just rioters who have been granted full clemency. The businessman-turned-politician has also pardoned quite a few high-profile figures, particularly those who have expressed support for him, so it's no surprise that some celebrities have tried their luck and publicly asked Trump for a pardon.

Right before he was set to begin his prison sentence in August 2025, former NBA star Sebastian Telfair told TMZ Sports, "Donald Trump might need to come holla ... [and] give your boy a pardon so I could, you know, stay at home with my babies and continue building my career." While Telfair hasn't received a pardon as of November 30, 2025, several other celebrities and convicted businessmen have, from rappers to politicians and beyond.

Donald Trump hasn't just issued pardons to famous figures who want to avoid imprisonment or reduce their sentence; he's also given them to those who have already served time but hope to get back all the civil rights that a conviction takes away. Among them was New York Mets legend Darryl Strawberry, who was previously sentenced to six months of home confinement and two years of probation after pleading guilty to tax evasion in 1995. As part of his sentence, Strawberry also paid back the $350,000 in income taxes that he owed.

Three decades after the former MLB star's guilty plea, Trump pardoned Strawberry, with a White House official releasing a statement (via CNBC): "Following his career, Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade – he has become active in ministry and started a recovery center which still operates today."

Following the announcement, Strawberry took to Instagram to express his gratitude to Trump. "Thank you, President [Donald Trump] for my full pardon and for finalizing this part of my life, allowing me to be truly free and clean from all of my past," he wrote alongside several photos of him with the president. In his post, he also revealed that Trump called him personally to share the news and talk about his baseball career.

Todd and Julie Chrisley made headlines back in 2022 when they were found guilty of multiple counts of bank fraud and tax evasion — offenses they continue to deny committing. They were sentenced to 19 years in prison combined, with Todd receiving 12 years and Julie seven, and ordered to cough up restitution amounting to nearly $18 million.

However, the "Chrisley Knows Best" stars served just around two and a half years of their respective sentences before they were released from prison following full pardons from Donald Trump for both Todd and Julie in May 2025. The president relayed the news to the couple's children, telling them (per People): "It's a terrible thing, but it's a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean. I don't know them, but give them my regards and wish them good luck."

Trump's decision came after the Chrisley family seemingly spent months attempting to get into his good graces. Savannah Chrisley, the couple's daughter, endorsed the billionaire by giving a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Then, in February 2025, Todd made it known that he was promoting the MAGA cause behind bars. After the pardons were announced, Savannah thanked the president for freeing her parents in an emotional statement to E! News. "For the past two and a half years, I've done everything in my power to fight for my parents' freedom and bring them home. This moment is the answer to countless prayers, and I am beyond grateful to President Trump for seeing the truth and restoring my family."

Donald Trump had a productive last day at the Oval Office back in January 2021, granting clemency to over 140 individuals before returning to civilian life. In addition to Steve Bannon, Trump's most talked-about last-minute pardons also included two famous names: Lil Wayne and Kodak Black. Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, was facing up to 10 years in prison in connection with a federal weapons charge when the president granted him a full pardon. Meanwhile, Black, also known as Bill Kahan Kapri, had his nearly four-year prison sentence for illegally purchasing firearms commuted.

In a statement cited by the BBC, the White House praised Carter for his "commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of food banks," and revealed that several notable figures, including football legend Deion Sanders, had backed the hitmaker's clemency. It also explained how Kapri earned his commutation, describing him as "a prominent artist and community leader" who "has committed to supporting a variety of charitable efforts, such as providing educational resources to students and families of fallen law enforcement officers and the underprivileged."

Months before Trump's pardoning spree, Carter subtly expressed support for the president on X (formerly Twitter) following a conversation at the White House. The rapper captioned a photo of him and Trump posing together in front of American flags by writing, "Just had a great meeting with [Donald Trump] ... He listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done."

YoungBoy Never Broke Again (or NBA YoungBoy) received one of Donald Trump's pardons in May 2025. The rapper, born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, had already completed his prison and home confinement sentence before the announcement, but with the pardon, he no longer had to serve his five-year probation. "I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist. This moment means a lot. It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this," Gaulden wrote in a statement on his Instagram Stories, according to Billboard.

The Louisiana artist was found with a gun on the set of a music video in 2020 despite his past conviction of felony aggravated assault with a firearm. He also admitted to stashing a pistol at his Utah home. However, after receiving clemency from the president, Gaulden wasted no time getting back into the music game, dropping his album "MASA" in July 2025 and embarking on a sold-out tour estimated to rake in a staggering $70 million in total.

Gaulden has also made it clear that he's on Team Trump. "XXX," one of the songs from the album, featured a shoutout to the president, with Gaulden rapping: "Make America Slimy Again, whatever Trump doin', b****, it's good for the youngins." Meanwhile, the song's music video included the message, "All Hail Trump."