Joe Exotic, the flamboyant star of Netflix’s “Tiger King,” is back in the headlines with yet another bid for freedom straight to President Trump’s desk.
According to The Hill, Joseph Maldonado, better known as Joe Exotic, is currently behind bars serving a 22-year sentence for a murder-for-hire plot against animal-rights activist Carole Baskin, and he’s once again asking for a presidential pardon with support from some notable conservative voices.
This saga kicked off in January 2020 when Maldonado was handed his hefty prison term for plotting against Baskin, a feud that captivated millions through the docuseries.
By September of that year, Maldonado penned a heartfelt letter to the White House during Trump’s first term, begging for a pardon.
Trump himself responded with a casual “take a look,” hinting at possible consideration, but no action followed. Undeterred, Maldonado tried again in 2021 under a different administration, only to be ignored, adding fuel to his growing frustration with the system.
Earlier in 2025, Maldonado didn’t hold back, slamming the current leadership for granting blanket pardons to connected family members while he languishes in jail.
“If I were a crack dealer, maybe if I broke in the capital or even had been related to the Bidens,” he grumbled in January, suggesting a justice system skewed toward the elite.
Well, isn’t that a bitter pill? His words paint a picture of a legal process that seems to favor the powerful, a sentiment many hardworking Americans might quietly nod to while shaking their heads at progressive favoritism.
By spring 2025, Maldonado took to Instagram with more sharp words after Trump pardoned reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley for financial crimes, posting, “This officially shows the Justice system is still two-sided.”
His jab at a “two-sided” system—where the rich and connected seemingly skate free—strikes a chord with those tired of seeing justice applied unevenly, though one wonders if his colorful past clouds his credibility.
Yet, amidst the venting, a glimmer of hope emerged as Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado signaled her support for a pardon earlier this year, giving Maldonado’s cause a boost from Capitol Hill.
Fast forward to this week, as reported on July 12, 2025, Maldonado made his latest plea to Trump, noting that an appeal for a new trial was recently denied.
He urged Trump “to listen to the voices of Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) and other public figures as well as the millions of people around the world to make this right and allow me to go home.”
That’s a tall order, Joe, but it’s hard not to feel a twinge of sympathy for a man who’s become a cultural icon, even if his actions landed him in this mess—still, shouldn’t the system at least hear him out, especially when millions question its fairness in an era of overreaching woke policies?
