Joe Exotic, star of ‘Tiger King’, criticized both President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for not issuing him a pardon, claiming he was “forgotten” by both leaders.
In a Tuesday Instagram post, Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado, suggested that he would have had a better chance of receiving clemency if he had committed a more high-profile crime, such as breaking into the Capitol or being related to the Bidens.
Exotic, currently serving a 22-year sentence for attempting to hire hitmen to kill his rival Carole Baskin, maintains his innocence and insists he deserves to be freed. The 61-year-old vented his frustration, noting that individuals convicted of serious crimes, including the person responsible for killing two FBI agents, have been granted pardons, while he has not received a new trial despite claims of perjury in his case.
During Trump’s first term, the former president had mentioned reviewing Exotic’s case but ultimately issued pardons for 143 people, including rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black. Exotic later sought clemency from President Biden, but his efforts were unsuccessful. He expressed disappointment as both Trump and Biden focused pardons on other individuals, including those involved in the January 6 Capitol riots.
Exotic continued to rally support, urging his 369,000 followers to tag Trump on social media and plead for his pardon.
