The View Blasts Trump Freeing Chrisleys: 'If You Are a Donor, Then You Can Buy Pardons'

"According to this administration, if you are a reality star with a lot of money, and a tax cheat, and you commit fraud, then that's good," said Joy Behar on Wednesday's edition of The View, talking about Trump pardoning reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. The Chrisley Knows Best stars had been convicted in 2022 of bank fraud and tax evasion, though they have maintained their innocence throughout. Todd and Julie were originally sentenced to 12 and 7 years, respectively, in 2023, before their sentences were reduced to 10 and 5 years -- before Trump vacated them entirely this week. Behar was incensed at the move, which comes among several recent pardons for right-leaning people convicted of financial crimes, including former Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins on Tuesday, who was convicted on federal fraud and bribery charges in 2024. In April, Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive sentenced for tax crimes -- and whose mother attended Trump's recent $1-million-per-head fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Todd and Julie's daughter Savannah has been vocal in advocating for the pardons, even speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention and supporting Trump in hopes that this one day could be a reality. "Poor people on Medicaid or food stamps, OK? According to this administration, those are the real moochers in the country, and they have to be taken off of health care or food stamps," Behar ranted, while people "running around being rich" like Chrisley get "let off the hook." Ana Navarro agreed, and said that Americans need to "not normalize this." It's a similar sentiment to how moderator Whoopi Goldberg opened the segment, asking "anybody going to have a problem with this, or -- because this is the law and order president -- are people already numb to this?" Navarro was not numb to it at all, arguing, "This is not normal. This is not honest, this is not ethical." She went on to add, "Basically, there is a huge 'For Sale' sign on the lawn of the White House. And if you are a supporter, if you are a donor, then you can buy pardons." She also noted that "this is coming at the same time that he's accepting a $400 million jet from the Qataris," while also citing his "crypto grift," Amazon's $40 million deal with Melania Trump for a documentary, and his children managing his various businesses. "The profiteering we are seeing from Trump and his family from the presidency has no precedence, and cannot be accepted or normalized by the American people," Navarro insisted. Sara Haines argued that people need to not be careful about too much outrage -- saying this is all strategic by Trump -- because if "you yell at everything, nobody hears anything." "I'm more upset about the Qatari jet. I'm more upset about the January 6 pardons, which were violent criminals. The deportations without due process, the attacks on our federal institutions with no cause, those, to me, are fundamentally way more problematic." "It's not to say any of this is not bad," she qualified, "but I think the problem we're living in now is he floods the zone, everyone reacts to everything saying, 'Don't normalize it, don't become numb,' but I think there's a strategy to picking your battles." Trump's team shared video of his call to Savannah to tell her he was going to be offering her parents a pardon, with the reality star in turn responding on her own social media platform. "The President called me personally as I was walking into Sam's Club and notified me that he was signing pardon paperwork for both of my parents ... Both my parents are coming home tonight or tomorrow, and I still don't believe it's real. I'm freaking out." While the pardons mark the end in a significant chapter in the Chrisley family's saga, Savannah emphasized that the fight against the prison system is far from over. "Today is a victory for our family, but the fight against wrongful convictions and injustice within our prison system is far from over. I will continue to use my voice and platform to advocate for those who do not have one," Savannah said in a statement to Us Weekly. The pardons will also play out on television, according to TMZ, as Savannah and her brother Chase had already been filming their own reality TV return, which was set to chronicle their lives with their parents behind bars. Now, the plan is for cameras to be rolling in both Florida and Kentucky when Todd and Julie are released, reuniting the family.

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May 29, 2025 - 07:00
The View Blasts Trump Freeing Chrisleys: 'If You Are a Donor, Then You Can Buy Pardons'

Amid a slew of white-collar pardons, Trump has drawn particular scrutiny after announcing he would be pardoning reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley following their convictions and incarcerations for bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022.

"According to this administration, if you are a reality star with a lot of money, and a tax cheat, and you commit fraud, then that's good," said Joy Behar on Wednesday's edition of The View, talking about Trump pardoning reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley.

The Chrisley Knows Best stars had been convicted in 2022 of bank fraud and tax evasion, though they have maintained their innocence throughout. Todd and Julie were originally sentenced to 12 and 7 years, respectively, in 2023, before their sentences were reduced to 10 and 5 years -- before Trump vacated them entirely this week.

How Chrisley Children Reacted to Donald Trump Pardoning Parents Todd and Julie

Behar was incensed at the move, which comes among several recent pardons for right-leaning people convicted of financial crimes, including former Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins on Tuesday, who was convicted on federal fraud and bribery charges in 2024.

In April, Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive sentenced for tax crimes -- and whose mother attended Trump's recent $1-million-per-head fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago.

Todd and Julie's daughter Savannah has been vocal in advocating for the pardons, even speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention and supporting Trump in hopes that this one day could be a reality.

"Poor people on Medicaid or food stamps, OK? According to this administration, those are the real moochers in the country, and they have to be taken off of health care or food stamps," Behar ranted, while people "running around being rich" like Chrisley get "let off the hook."

Ana Navarro agreed, and said that Americans need to "not normalize this." It's a similar sentiment to how moderator Whoopi Goldberg opened the segment, asking "anybody going to have a problem with this, or -- because this is the law and order president -- are people already numb to this?"

Navarro was not numb to it at all, arguing, "This is not normal. This is not honest, this is not ethical."

She went on to add, "Basically, there is a huge 'For Sale' sign on the lawn of the White House. And if you are a supporter, if you are a donor, then you can buy pardons."

She also noted that "this is coming at the same time that he's accepting a $400 million jet from the Qataris," while also citing his "crypto grift," Amazon's $40 million deal with Melania Trump for a documentary, and his children managing his various businesses.

"The profiteering we are seeing from Trump and his family from the presidency has no precedence, and cannot be accepted or normalized by the American people," Navarro insisted.

Sara Haines argued that people need to not be careful about too much outrage -- saying this is all strategic by Trump -- because if "you yell at everything, nobody hears anything."

"I'm more upset about the Qatari jet. I'm more upset about the January 6 pardons, which were violent criminals. The deportations without due process, the attacks on our federal institutions with no cause, those, to me, are fundamentally way more problematic."

"It's not to say any of this is not bad," she qualified, "but I think the problem we're living in now is he floods the zone, everyone reacts to everything saying, 'Don't normalize it, don't become numb,' but I think there's a strategy to picking your battles."

Trump's team shared video of his call to Savannah to tell her he was going to be offering her parents a pardon, with the reality star in turn responding on her own social media platform.

"The President called me personally as I was walking into Sam's Club and notified me that he was signing pardon paperwork for both of my parents ... Both my parents are coming home tonight or tomorrow, and I still don't believe it's real. I'm freaking out."

While the pardons mark the end in a significant chapter in the Chrisley family's saga, Savannah emphasized that the fight against the prison system is far from over.

"Today is a victory for our family, but the fight against wrongful convictions and injustice within our prison system is far from over. I will continue to use my voice and platform to advocate for those who do not have one," Savannah said in a statement to Us Weekly.

The pardons will also play out on television, according to TMZ, as Savannah and her brother Chase had already been filming their own reality TV return, which was set to chronicle their lives with their parents behind bars.

Now, the plan is for cameras to be rolling in both Florida and Kentucky when Todd and Julie are released, reuniting the family.

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