President Donald Trump has admitted that he knows ‘very little’ about Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, whom he pardoned for shocking drug trafficking crimes. In an interview with Politico, he said that he decided to let Hernández go as ‘people’ told him that he had been framed by the Barack Obama and Joe Biden administrations.
“Well, I don’t know him. And I know very little about him other than people said it was like, uh, an Obama/Biden type setup, where he was set up,” he said.
Trump also sought to downplay the charges against Hernández. He said Honduras “deals in drugs, like every country.” Trump then added that Hernández got “like 45 years in prison” just because he was the country’s president.
To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2025
“The country, uh, deals in drugs, like probably you could say that about every country, and because he was the president, they gave him like 45 years in prison. And there are many people fighting for Honduras, very good people that I know. And they think he was treated horribly, and they asked me to do it, and I said I’ll do it,” he added.
Trump also emphasized that pardoning Hernández, who allegedly allowed 400 tons of cocaine to enter the U.S., does not send out a wrong message.
I am pleased to announce that the great Dan Scavino, in addition to remaining Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, will head the White House Presidential Personnel Office, replacing Sergio Gor, who did a wonderful job in that position, and will now become the…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2025
Hernández was a prominent figure in Honduran politics, serving as the country’s president from 2014 to 2022. He shared good ties with the Obama and the first Trump administration. Hernández frequently collaborated with them on important issues such as counternarcotics and migration.
However, he also engaged in several illegal activities while seemingly cooperating with the U.S. authorities. Hernández is said to have paved the way for enormous quantities of cocaine to enter the country. He also allegedly received bribes from several drug traffickers.
Hernández was eventually sentenced to 45 years in prison for these murky activities. However, Trump pardoned him on December 1.
Shortly after that, Honduras Attorney General Johel Antonio Zelaya issued an international arrest warrant for Hernández, adding to his worries.
This comes at a time when Trump has adopted a hardline approach toward drug boats in the U.S. On December 4, the military confirmed that it killed four men in a strike on a suspected drug vessel in international waters in the Eastern Pacific. This garnered a great deal of attention, with Senator Mark Kelly condemning the move and the general strategy surrounding it.
As such, Trump’s decision to pardon Hernández is a perplexing one. Double standards, anyone?
