Fact Check: Did Trump pardon 77 people who stole from Medicare?
WASHINGTON, DC: A rumor has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump pardoned 77 people who stole from Medicare. The claim surfaced at a time when the Trump administration is facing criticism and pressure due to Gulf tensions, intensifying the scrutiny against him. Let us analyse and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Donald Trump pardoned 77 people who stole from Medicare
According to the viral claim, Trump pardoned 77 people who stole from Medicare, calling it under-the-radar news and alleging he sells pardons, accompanied by an image listing over $1.3 billion in canceled debts and restitution from various Trump pardons.
The replies under the post largely echo corruption accusations against Trump, with some users referencing donor ties, unrecovered victim funds, and comparisons to other politicians' fraud cases.
The claim has spread on Facebook, X, and Instagram, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, with many believing it to be true, while a few others remained skeptical and questioned its authenticity.
Fact Check: 77 refers to the pardon of 2020 election allies unrelated to Medicare
The claim, however, is false as the '77' actually refers to a November 2025 pardon of Trump's 2020 election allies like Rudy Giuliani, unrelated to health care.
The claim combines legitimate Trump clemency cases from both his terms, mostly for white-collar crimes like securities fraud and crypto violations, falsely tagging their restitution as Medicare fraud, though a few, like nursing home executive Paul Walczak and Lawrence Duran, did involve health schemes.
Critics highlight donor links and over $2 billion in total fraud losses across dozens of cases, while supporters call it mercy. Fact-checks confirm no recent batch of Medicare pardons exists.
Donald Trump pardoned 77 people linked to 2020 election plot
Former Trump allies Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows were among dozens of people pardoned by Trump last year for their alleged roles in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
The pardons are largely symbolic because they apply only to federal cases. Giuliani, Meadows, and others still face potential legal challenges in state courts.
The clemency was announced in a November 2025 post on X by US pardon attorney Ed Martin and covers 77 individuals accused of helping organize a scheme involving fake Republican electors in key battleground states.
The plan sought to falsely declare Trump the winner of those states instead of the actual victor, former President Joe Biden.
