On October 23, US president Donald Trump exercised his constitutional clemency powers to pardon Changpeng Zhao, co-founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

As the usual suspects howl as if Zhao was some kind of hardened criminal, and hint darkly at the possibility of a corrupt motive on Trump’s part (I’m not discounting that possibility), it’s worth noting that the “crime” Zhao pled guilty to and served four months in prison for wasn’t a crime by any sane definition of the word.

Zhao’s “crime,” according to the US Department of Justice, was “violating the [Bank Secrecy Act] by causing Binance to violate the BSA by causing Binance to fail to implement an effective anti-money laundering program.”

In English, that means Zhao didn’t display sufficient enthusiasm in spying on Binance’s customers for the US government.

Yes, really. Binance served its customers instead of surveilling those customers on behalf of the DC ruling class. In a free society, that would be called “ethical human behavior,” not “crime.”

Zhao, a Canadian national, no longer a “convicted felon” in the United States, should henceforth face fewer travel restrictions and possibly a recovered ability to serve on the boards of companies in certain government-regulated industries.

Hooray! Hooray!  Along with the pardon of Ross Ulbricht, sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years for the “crime” of operating a website, that’s two cheers for Trump in my book.

I can think of at least two candidates for the third cheer, and hope Trump will deliver.

The first candidate is Ian Freeman, a libertarian activist from New Hampshire who’s serving an eight-year sentence for the “crime” of selling Bitcoin without a license. No such license was legally required, or even existed, but the government ignores technicalities like that  when they’re after someone.

Freeman doesn’t belong in prison. The prosecutor knew that when she brought the charges, and the judge knew that when he imposed the sentence — just as Trump will know it if the matter comes to his attention.

Then there’s Roger Ver, aka “Bitcoin Jesus.” In 2014, he renounced his US citizenship and moved abroad, paying the usual bribes (“exit taxes”). Last year, the US government decided it wanted more money and had him arrested in and extradited from Spain.

Ver entered into a “deferred prosecution agreement” earlier this month, under which he’ll fork over another $50 million in bribes … unless Trump pardons him before that agreement goes into effect.

What we really need is a constitutional amendment forbidding the US government to regulate cryptocurrency in any way, shape, manner, or form. But until we get that, Trump should pardon, commute the sentences of, and direct the DOJ to refrain from persecuting, the people changing money for the better.

Thomas L. Knapp (X: @thomaslknapp | Bluesky: @knappster.bsky.social | Mastodon: @knappster) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.

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“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A.,” US president Donald Trump whined in an October 23 Truth Social post (all-caps treatment, of course, his). “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”

The egregious behavior in question? Telling the truth about tariffs in a $75 million ad campaign. Or, rather, having the late US president Ronald Reagan do so, in his own words:

“Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer …. markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs.”

Letting Ronald Reagan talk to Americans about tariffs, Trump  raged the next day, constitutes “trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court” on the non-question of whether Trump enjoys personal legal authority to impose massive tax hikes on American consumers whenever the urge strikes.

Spoiler alert: He enjoys no such authority (the Constitution assigns taxing authority to Congress, not the president).

Nor is it illegal for Canadian politicians, Ronald Reagan, or anyone else to let Americans know that, in addition to themselves being illegal, his tariff policies are stupid, evil, and economically ruinous.

The US government’s tariff revenues jumped to a record $29.6 billion in July, and may end up hitting $350 billion per year.

Trump would like you to believe that those revenues are magic free money, paid by unspecified philanthropists from other countries and somehow accruing to your benefit when the US Treasury collects them.

In fact, tariffs come out of YOUR pocket in the form of higher prices if you can get the goods you want, less consumer choice because you often can’t, and fewer opportunities for you or your employer to sell in foreign markets as other governments “retaliate” with tariffs, or even embargoes, of their own.

Estimates vary — in large part because Trump’s tariffs rates seem to change by the minute on the basis of his whims and tantrums — but over the last few months he’s hiked your household’s annual tax bill by at least $2,500, and probably closer to $5,000.

That’s a lot of money to spend humoring one guy’s “throw myself on the floor and hold my breath ’til I turn blue” approach to trade/tax policy.

Ontario premier Doug Ford, the politician behind the ad campaign, says he’ll end it after Major League Baseball’s World Series.

But now you know the truth. Don’t forget it.

Thomas L. Knapp (X: @thomaslknapp | Bluesky: @knappster.bsky.social | Mastodon: @knappster) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.

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Citing two Trump administration officials, NBC News reports that “the entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished ‘within days'” to make room for something called either (depending on who you ask) the White House State Ballroom or the Donald J. Trump Ballroom at the White House — a 90,000-square-foot, 900-capacity party venue.

Concept illustrations, as one might expect with any Trump project, resemble storyboards from a prospective The Simpsons Take Versailles! film.

Because the project is to be funded with influence buys … er, “donations” — from Trump’s would-be big business cronies, one person recently told me how great it is that “the people” will get a beautiful ballroom at “no expense to the taxpayer.” Really? When do my wife and I get an invite to strut our tango stuff there?

Unlike some, I’m not bothered by the kitschy concept art (it’s Trump, whaddayagonnado?), the partial demolition of the White House (I’d be glad to see the whole thing gone for good), or the corporate influence-buying (at least with Trump it’s all done right out in the open).

However, it seems to me that this is the kind of government project that cries out for public input, comments, and suggestions, and I have an alternative proposal to offer:

First, once the East Wing is demolished, leave it demolished.

Second, if the rest of the building isn’t going to come down too, deed the remaining ruin to a non-profit, funded entirely by voluntary donations, with the mission of running it as a museum.

While I’d prefer to see those two things as part of a larger package based on the historical fate of Carthage, I’ll try to take a more moderate line here, based on the presumption that we’re going to let the federal government exist a little while longer. So:

Third, either fund an allowance for Trump and future presidents to rent small apartments of their choice, or lease (in perpetuity, or until we dissolve the US government) a suite at the Willard Hotel as living quarters for presidential households.

Fourth, set aside some office space in the Capitol Complex for the use of the president and his or her staff.

Not a LOT of office space, mind you — just enough for the president and staff to do their constitutionally mandated duties, which are mainly minor administrative and ceremonial functions.

For ceremonial functions that draw crowds, give the president scheduling priority for use of Lafayette Square. I’m sure the government can find a few pop-up canopies and a suitable caterer. Burrito bar, anyone? Someone tell JD Vance to pick up a couple of kegs of domestic beer. Ask Linda McMahon to drag the cornhole set out of her garage. Karaoke after dinner!

This whole “the president is so special” thing has gotten way out of hand. Time to trim the fat. Let the White House stand if we must, I guess, but turn it into a reminder of our past errors rather than a symbol of pretend current greatness.

Thomas L. Knapp (X: @thomaslknapp | Bluesky: @knappster.bsky.social | Mastodon: @knappster) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.

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