Trump scolds Kaitlan Collins over Changpeng Zhao pardon, calls her ‘fake news’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump called on CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during a White House Q&A session on Thursday, October 23, as reported by Mediaite.

Collins questioned Trump about his decision to pardon Changpeng Zhao, the CEO and founder of Binance, asking whether the move had any connection to his family’s business dealings. The exchange quickly turned tense as Trump fired back, accusing Collins of being “fake news” and claiming she knew “nothing about nothing.”

Donald Trump scolds CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins over question on Changpeng Zhao

Collins began, “Today you pardoned the founder of Binance. Can you explain why you chose to pardon him, and did it have anything to do with his involvement in your family’s business?”

Trump responded, “Which one, who was that?” Collins clarified, “The founder of Binance. He has involvement in your own family’s crypto business.” Trump replied sharply, “The recent one? I believe we’re talking about the same person, because I do pardon a lot of people. I don’t know. He was recommended by a lot of people. A lot of people say that—are you talking about the crypto person? A lot of people say he wasn’t guilty of anything. He served four months in jail, and they say that he wasn’t guilty of anything.”

As Collins tried to clarify, Trump stopped her and said, “Well, you don’t know much about crypto—you know nothing about nothing, you fake news!”

He then continued explaining the pardon: “He was somebody, as I was told—I don’t believe I have ever met him—but I’ve been told he had a lot of support. And they said what he did is not even a crime, that he was persecuted by the Biden administration. And so I gave him a pardon at the request of some very good people.”

Donald Trump family’s crypto business draws scrutiny

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump family’s crypto firm, World Liberty Finance, has generated around $5 billion since the 2024 election.

This is not the first time Trump has lashed out at reporters. He previously criticized reporter Jeff Mason over questions about the transparency of his White House ballroom plans, calling him “third-rate” and saying, “Third-rate reporters didn’t see it because they didn’t look.”

Donald Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao amid broader crypto leniency

On October 23, 2025, President Donald Trump granted a full presidential pardon to Changpeng Zhao (“CZ”), the founder of the crypto exchange Binance. Zhao had been convicted of violating anti–money laundering laws and sentenced to four months in prison before being fined $4.3 billion after a US investigation found that Binance helped users bypass sanctions.

This is not the first time Trump has pardoned a crypto entrepreneur. Previously, he dropped a fraud case against Justin Sun, a crypto entrepreneur, following his investments in the Trump family’s crypto firm, World Liberty Finance, as per BBC News. Trump has also extended pardons to the founders of BitMex, who faced money laundering charges, as well as Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road.