Donald Trump has said he will give “very serious consideration” to the idea of pardoning WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Trump made the comments during an interview with podcaster Tim Pool before his speech at the Libertarian National Convention.
“Well, I’m going to talk about that today, and we’re going to give it very serious consideration,” Trump said.
BREAKING: Trump just stunned the world on Tim Pool, saying he will consider pardoning WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange once he’s President
WE ARE WINNING
— George (@BehizyTweets) May 28, 2024
Assange is currently fighting extradition to the US, where he faces espionage charges carrying a maximum 175-year sentence for obtaining and publishing classified information on his organization, WikiLeaks.
Trump’s comments were welcomed by Assange’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, who told The Sydney Morning Herald: “I think we are reaching a critical point in the fight to free Julian. All presidential candidates have made statements on Julian’s freedom in the past two months.”
“It’s time this scandalous prosecution is brought to an end and, with the help of the Australian government, Julian is brought home to be with his family,” he added.
Back in 2021, Trump told conservative commentator Candace Owens that he came “very close” to pardoning Assange at the end of his last administration.
“You have two sides of it: In one case, you have sort of a spy deal going on, and then another case, you have somebody that’s exposing real corruption,” he said at the time.”I won’t say which one, but I feel a little bit more strongly about one than the other….but I could have done it.”
Trump explains to Candace Owens why he started the prosecution of Assange and didn’t pardon Assange/Snowden. pic.twitter.com/EknNzx4A4n
— V (@Vedthalegend) December 22, 2021
“I will say you have people on both sides of that issue. Good people on both sides, and you have some bad people on one side. But I decided to let that one ride, let the courts work it out. And I guess the courts are actually doing that.”
During his speech at the Libertarian Party convention over the weekend, Trump also pledged to commute the sentence of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.
“If you vote for me, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” he declared. “He’s already served 11 years, we’re gonna get him home.”
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