Publicity Stunt? Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Claims Trump Pardon In Bizarre Video

Publicity Stunt? Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Claims Trump Pardon In Bizarre Video Trevor Milton—founder and former CEO of the now-bankrupt Nikola—claimed on X late Thursday that President Trump had issued him a "full and unconditional pardon" and said the president "called me personally."Quick refresher on Milton: In 2023, a jury found him guilty of lying to investors about Nikola's electric and fuel cell semi-truck technology and sentenced him to four years in prison. Nikola was first exposed by short seller Nathan Anderson, founder of Hindenburg Research, after the startup released a 2020 promotional video, which showed its Nikola One truck rolling down a hill to simulate full functionality.Last month, Nikola filed for Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The defunct-startup also filed a motion seeking permission to pursue an auction and sale process under Section 363 of the US Bankruptcy Code. Back to Milton, he wrote on X:"This pardon is not just about me—it's about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that's a lot of people. It is no wonder why trust and confidence in the Justice Department has eroded to nothing... I saw firsthand the tactics they use to guarantee convictions. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for his courage in standing up for what is right and for granting me this sacred pardon of innocence." Today I was issued a full and unconditional pardon by @realDonaldTrump himself. He called me personally to tell me.This pardon is not just about me—it’s about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that’s a lot of people. It is no wonder... pic.twitter.com/qpT0jjI6Fy— Trevor Milton (@nikolatrevor) March 28, 2025Milton's video was immediately fact-checked by Community Notes, which pointed out that multiple U.S. government databases did not show evidence of a pardon."There is no mention of the pardon on the White House Website, or a Department of Justice catalog of presidential pardons." Separately, Milton's media team released a press release through PR Newswire, declaring:"Founder of Nikola Motor Company, Trevor Milton, Pardoned by President Trump." Here's EV blog Electrek's take on the situation:So, despite us seeing no evidence yet that this pardon is actually real, maybe it's an attempt to incept the idea of a pardon into the empty headcase of a vain ignoramus who for some reason has access to the pardon pen (despite there being a clear Constitutional remedy keeping insurrectionists like himself away from it).It also seems quite similar to a proposed tactic by another corporate criminal, Sam Bankman-Fried. Fried had planned to "Go on Tucker Carlsen [sic], come out as a republican" in an attempt to angle for a pardon, again playing on the vanity, credulousness and love of fraud shown by the idiot-in-chief.But then, in the last line of the press release, we get to what is perhaps the real point of this stunt – it ends with a link to a trailer for a documentary which purports to exonerate Milton. Kind of strange that someone would need to release a documentary making the case for exoneration when one has already been exonerated, isn't it?So, for these reasons, we think that this pardon didn't actually happen.. . . Tyler DurdenFri, 03/28/2025 - 08:05

Trevor Milton —founder and former CEO of the now-bankrupt Nikola—claimed on X late Thursday that President Trump had issued him a " full and unconditional pardon " and said the president " called me personally ." Quick refresher on Milton : In 2023, a jury found him guilty of lying to investors about Nikola's electric and fuel cell semi-truck technology and sentenced him to four years in prison. Nikola was first exposed by short seller Nathan Anderson, founder of Hindenburg Research , after the startup released a 2020 promotional video, which showed its Nikola One truck rolling down a hill to simulate full functionality.

Last month, Nikola filed for Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The defunct-startup also filed a motion seeking permission to pursue an auction and sale process under Section 363 of the US Bankruptcy Code. Back to Milton, he wrote on X: " This pardon is not just about me —it's about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that's a lot of people.

It is no wonder why trust and confidence in the Justice Department has eroded to nothing...

I saw firsthand the tactics they use to guarantee convictions. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for his courage in standing up for what is right and for granting me this sacred pardon of innocence." Today I was issued a full and unconditional pardon by @realDonaldTrump himself.

He called me personally to tell me. This pardon is not just about me—it’s about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that’s a lot of people. It is no wonder.

.. pic.

twitter.com/qpT0jjI6Fy Milton's video was immediately fact-checked by Community Notes , which pointed out that multiple U.S.

government databases did not show evidence of a pardon. "There is no mention of the pardon on the White House Website, or a Department of Justice catalog of presidential pardons." Separately, Milton's media team released a press release through PR Newswire, declaring: "Founder of Nikola Motor Company, Trevor Milton, Pardoned by President Trump.

" Here's EV blog Electrek's take on the situation: So, despite us seeing no evidence yet that this pardon is actually real, maybe it's an attempt to incept the idea of a pardon into the empty headcase of a vain ignoramus who for some reason has access to the pardon pen (despite there being a clear Constitutional remedy keeping insurrectionists like himself away from it). It also seems quite similar to a proposed tactic by another corporate criminal, Sam Bankman-Fried. Fried had planned to "Go on Tucker Carlsen [sic], come out as a republican" in an attempt to angle for a pardon, again playing on the vanity, credulousness and love of fraud shown by the idiot-in-chief.

But then, in the last line of the press release, we get to what is perhaps the real point of this stunt – it ends with a link to a trailer for a documentary which purports to exonerate Milton. Kind of strange that someone would need to release a documentary making the case for exoneration when one has already been exonerated, isn't it? So, for these reasons, we think that this pardon didn't actually happen. .

. ..