09 April 2020

Donald Trump weighs in on hit Netflix show Tiger King and says he will 'take a look' at pardon for jailed Joe Exotic

President Donald Trump has said he will 'take a look' at a potential pardon for the star of Netflix show 'Tiger King' after he was sent to prison for a murder-for-hire attempt.

Joe 'Exotic' Maldonado-Passage, who ran Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma for more than 20 years, was jailed for plotting to have animal rights activist Carole Baskin killed.

Joe 'Exotic' has become one of the most famous people in the US during the coronavirus lockdown (PA Images)

Exotic strenuously denies he ever tried to kill Baskin, but he was given a 22-year prison sentence for the crime back in January.

President Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, spoke about the sentence and said: "Now, I don't even know exactly what he was charged with ... I watched the show, but it was like, I don't know exactly what he was guilty of or wasn't.

"It doesn't seem like he was totally innocent of anything. But when they're saying, "We're putting this guy away for 30 years," I'm saying that seems sort of aggressive."

Following the comments, President Trump was then quizzed on it at his daily White  House briefing.

Trump said: "I know nothing about it," and then proceeded to ask reporters whether they felt Exotic was worthy of a pardon.

He then later added: "I'll take a look."

Tiger King is currently the No 1-rated show on Netflix and has created a great deal of debate on social media during the coronavirus lockdown.

As well as Exotic's misdemeanours in the Netflix documentary, 'Big Cat Rescue' owner Baskin also sparked debate after the TV show addressed the disappearance of her first husband.

The case has since been re-opened by investigators.

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