President Donald Trump claimed he doesn’t know who Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is, despite granting him a presidential pardon last month.
During a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday night, the president was pressed about Zhao’s case and his family’s crypto-linked business dealings but brushed off questions, calling the case a “Biden witch hunt.”
Trump dismissed the question, saying, “I know nothing about it because I’m too busy.” “I’m glad they are [in crypto] because it’s probably a great industry. They’re running a business, they’re not in government,” he said. The president’s comments come amid ongoing scrutiny over the links between Binance and World Liberty Financial, a Trump family venture that has reportedly received backing from crypto firms.
Interviewer Norah O’Donnell followed up, pointing out that Binance had “helped facilitate a $2 billion purchase” of the Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial’s stablecoin.
Pressed on healthcare, Trump renewed attacks on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), calling it “terrible” and “too expensive.”
“The Republicans are voting almost unanimously to end it, and the Democrats keep voting against ending it,” he said. The president did not outline a plan to reopen the government but said he expects Democrats to “give in.”
The dispute stems from an Oct. 23 post on X, where Warren criticized former President Donald Trump’s pardon of Zhao, calling it “corruption.” Zhao’s attorney, Teresa Goody Guillén, demanded a retraction, accusing Warren of damaging her client’s reputation.
As reported, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s lawyer has dismissed CZ’s threat of a defamation lawsuit, insisting her comments about his criminal conviction were factually correct and supported by public records.
