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Nikola founder Trevor Milton was convicted in 2023 for fraud. Besides a $1 million fine, he was also sentenced to four years in prison. According to the Associated Press, the conviction came after he exaggerated claims about his company's technology and their zero-emission 18-wheel tracks, leaving his investors to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.
However, the CEO recently said that President Donald Trump has given him a "full and unconditional pardon." He shared the news on X on Thursday, March 27, thanking Trump for the same. Following his announcement, YouTuber CoffeeZilla reshared Milton's post on X on March 28, giving his opinions about it. He wrote:
"Convicted Fraudster Trevor Milton gets pardoned. Absolutely insane--Actually speechless. This is the golden age of the grift."
The confirmation that President Trump gave Trevor Milton a pardon came on Friday, March 28, 2025, from the White House, as per the Associated Press. However, according to the outlet, there was no notice of a pardon from the White House website.
Milton's pardon also came at a time after he and his wife reportedly donated to Trump's reelection campaign funds. According to ABC, citing information from the Federal Election Commission, the donation amounted to over $1.8 million and was given less than a month before the election in November last year.
Trevor Milton thanked Donald Trump for his "courage in standing up for what's right" following his pardon
In his X post on March 27, 2025, Trevor Milton shared the news that Donald Trump gave him a "full and unconditional pardon," and that the President personally called to break the news to him. Talking about it in the caption, he thanked Trump for his decision and also praised the US President for his courage. He wrote:
"I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for his courage in standing up for what is right and for granting me this sacred pardon of innocence."
He also said that the Presidential pardon was not only about him, but that it also concerns "every American" whom he claimed has been "railroaded by the government." In the accompanying video of the post, showing Trevor Milton driving his car and talking to the camera, he said that receiving the news from Trump made his day "the best day" he has had in the last five years.
Further talking about Trump granting him the pardon, he also said that the prosecutors can no longer hurt him and that they cannot destroy his family or ruin his life. He further added:
"I get to be with my wife now, I get to be with my family. It is done. It's over."
He also called President Trump an "amazing man" for what he did and praised him for caring enough to personally call him to share the news. Milton also shared a message to the people who supported him throughout his conviction: "The greatest comeback story in America is about to happen." He ended the video by sharing gratitude to all his supporters.
According to Associated Press, Trump was asked during a news conference on Friday why he pardoned Trevor Milton, to which he replied that it was "highly recommended by many people." He also called the prosecutors from the Southern District of New York "a vicious group of people" and said that Milton did nothing wrong.
