President Trump has pardoned former Sheriff Scott Jenkins, who was convicted of accepting over $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing unqualified deputies. According to Trump, Jenkins wasn’t a criminal — just another patriot “persecuted by radical left monsters.”
Back in 2023, the Associated Press detailed how the federal indictment laid out Jenkins’ pay-to-play scheme: trading sheriff deputations for cold, hard cash. While the deputies were technically “volunteers,” they were given real badges, real guns, and real law enforcement powers. Jenkins allegedly used the powers of his office to secure campaign funds as well, because why stop at badges when you can also buy influence?
Jenkins and three co-defendants faced conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud charges. The DOJ had the arduous task of proving that Jenkins solicited and received upwards of $70,000 in bribes — which they did, in part thanks to two federal agents who actually bribed Jenkins themselves. So, yes, it sounds like a thorough investigation was conducted. But Trump still claimed, on Truth Social, that Jenkins was a victim of injustice.
According to Trump, the real culprit wasn’t Jenkins — it was the weaponized Biden DOJ. He blamed Judge Robert Ballou for the conviction, saying the judge refused to allow exculpatory evidence from Jenkins’ counsel. Trump’s distaste for judges is nothing new; at this point, it’s more of a character trait than a political stance.
Lately, Trump has been handing out pardons to people who, if we’re being generous, are not exactly beloved by the public. One of the more eyebrow-raising examples includes the Jan. 6 insurrectionists — and let’s not forget Joe Arpaio. As usual, the internet exploded. One X user called it cosplay “law enforcement for the elite,” where the sheriff’s rich buddies got to pretend to play pretend. Another was more blunt: “Trump supports dirty cops.”
Trump pardoned a corrupt sheriff who literally sold get-out-of-jail-free cards to rich buddies so they could play pretend cops and skip airport lines. It’s not just corruption—it’s cosplay law enforcement for the elite, rubber-stamped by a guy who once promised to "drain the…
— Ryca (@_oRyca_) May 26, 2025
Trump supports dirty cops.
— Hewitt Newton (@HewittNewton) May 27, 2025
Not the Capitol good blues
And now, with Trump’s pardon powers under fresh scrutiny, the Tory Lanez case has crept back into public consciousness. Lanez, who was convicted — and caught on tape all but apologizing for doing “something” to Megan Thee Stallion — has recently doubled down on his claims of innocence. Conservative pundits are now floating the idea that new evidence could exonerate him and are lobbying Trump for yet another headline-making pardon. Trump hasn’t publicly addressed the request yet, but odds are it’s already sitting on his desk… or lurking in his DMs.
Fans are watching online with bated breath to see if Tory Lanez makes the cut. And honestly, who knows where it stops? There are plenty of people currently staring down the long arm of the law who’d gladly throw Trump a compliment — or a full-on endorsement — if it means a one-way ticket to freedom.
At this point, it seems Trump is making decisions solely to juice his MAGA approval ratings. The credit score is plummeting, the tariff strategy is flopping, and even his one-sided bromance with Putin isn’t panning out. What’s left? Populist political stunts.
The precedent has been set: pardons are now political currency. If you’ve committed a crime but can find a way to get on Trump’s good side — especially if you come with a built-in fanbase — a pardon might just be in your future.
