Tiger King Was Not Pardoned

22nd January 2021

Joe Exotic is in prison for murder-for-hire and other charges (Getty Images).

The Claim

Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, aka “The Tiger King,” will receive a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.

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The claim went viral in the days leading up to the closing of Trump's presidency.

However, despite his abundance of confidence that he would receive a pardon from Trump during the former-President’s final hours in office, Joe Exotic will remain imprisoned for now. The infamous celebrity was subsequently clowned-on by many social media users for having rented an enormous limousine to whisk him away from confinement, only to stay within prison walls.

Misbar’s Analysis

One of the few highlights of the Spring 2020 lockdown was many bonding over the bizarrely captivating Netflix show “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” telling the tale of Joe Exotic and company. Unfortunately for the wild-eyed wildlife trafficker, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison under charges of murder-for-hire, as well as violating the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act on January 22, 2020. However, there was still a way out for him: the presidential pardon.

Trump spent the remaining days of his term issuing pardons and commuting sentences of convicted criminals and those still undergoing trials. Amongst the slew of pardoned individuals were high-profile cases which were seen as unjust for one reason or another and celebrities. Joe Exotic was hoping to be one of those celebrities (alongside baffling picks such as Lil Wayne and Kodak Black), but alas, it was not to be.

Extoic’s legal team (known as “Team Tiger”) expressed disappointment in Trump’s decision, or lack thereof. Joe himself took to Twitter and delivered a short and bitter monologue, which we will post here for you to read in solemn contemplation.