Ex-GOP member slams Trump for 'screwing the little guy' with pardon pledge

A decision to pardon and release convicted fraudster David Gentile has been criticized by ex-GOP party members.

Donald Trump confirmed Gentile, the founder and former CEO of GBP Capital, had been released from prison on November 14. His freedom came just days into a seven-year prison sentence for Gentile's role in defrauding thousands of individual investors. Trump confirmed the clemency for Gentile earlier this week. The Federal Bureau of Prisons website states Gentile was released on November 26.

Both current and former government representatives were furious to hear Gentile had been released from prison barely two weeks into his sentence, Newsweek reported. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took to X and wrote, "Just to be clear: There will be no pardons for fraudsters in Minnesota."

Former GOP congresswoman Barbra Comstock criticized Trump for his part in "screwing the little guy" over with the release of Gentile. She wrote, "MAGA Justice: Trump screws the little guy again."

"Gentile served 7 days in jail. His1000s of defrauded victims included small business owners, farmers, veterans, teachers and nurses. One said, 'I lost my whole life savings. I am living from check to check.’"

Illinois representative Sean Casten also took to the Elon Musk-owned social media platform to provide a chilling contrast of Trump's pardoning.

Casten wrote, "Trump will deport an Afghani living in the U.S. with Temporary Protected Status if he is *accused* of stealing $1,000. But he’ll set a white dude free who was *convicted* of stealing $1.6B from American citizens to go commit more crime.”

Trump has also confirmed he will pardon convicted drug trafficker and former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez. He was sentenced to 45 years in U.S. federal prison for helping move massive quantities of cocaine into the United States.

Trump announced the plan to pardon Hernandez on Friday, and speaking with reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, confirmed the plan to pardon the former president would go ahead. Trump even referred to the arrest and subsequent charge of Hernandez as "a Biden setup," The Daily Beast reported.

He said, "Well, I was told—I was asked by Honduras, many of the people of Honduras, they said it was a Biden setup. He was the president of the country. And they basically said he was a drug dealer because he was the president of the country."