@standup_america
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@standup_america Over the last year, Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of many wealthy business executives with ties to his administration, businesses, or campaign. If you’re rich, well-connected, or have something to offer Trump, a presidential pardon is a possibility. The White House is now a pay-to-play.
Performance
Video #12267 · Carousel
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The carousel post criticizes Trump's pardons, highlighting individuals convicted of serious crimes.
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What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds
Title hook · 45%
Trump has pardoned huge amounts of fraud and truly heinous crimes.
Verbal hook · 35%
Over the last year, Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of many wealthy business executives with ties to his administration, businesses, or campaign.
Visual hook · 20%
The use of portraits of individuals who were pardoned, paired with descriptions of their crimes, creates a strong visual and informational hook.
[07]
The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back
Hook
A strong, definitive thesis statement on the opening slide that establishes a systemic issue, pattern, or controversy to be proven.
Payoff
A final piece of commentary or quote that synthesizes the mountain of evidence into a definitive, memorable takeaway about the broader societal or industry implications.
[08]
The structural pattern this video runs on
Framework
The Overwhelming Evidence Stack
Establish a bold thesis, then overwhelm the reader with a relentless, formulaic list of examples, periodically interrupted by third-party authority quotes to validate the premise and reset swipe fatigue.
The Initial Barrage
A rapid-fire sequence of identically formatted slides presenting undeniable examples that immediately support the hook's claim.
The Authority Breather
A visual and narrative break using a quote or screenshot from a credible third party to validate the thesis, add commentary, and prevent list fatigue.
The Escalating Proof
A return to the formulaic evidence stack, introducing more egregious, high-stakes, or varied examples to build overwhelming momentum.
The Institutional Co-sign
Integration of a mainstream or highly recognized source (like a news headline or official statement) to elevate the argument from personal opinion to established fact.
The Final Wave
One last sequence of formulaic examples to cement the feeling that the evidence is truly endless and undeniable.
Over the last year, Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of many wealthy business executives with ties to his administration, businesses, or campaign. If you’re rich, well-connected, or have something to offer Trump, a presidential pardon is a possibility. The White House is now a pay-to-play.
statement · photo_0
Trump has pardoned huge amounts of fraud and truly heinous crimes. In particular, he's pardoned more corrupt elected officials than any other President, and it's not particularly close. This President is a crook through and through.
informational · photo_1
PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTOR DEVON ARCHER PARDONED BY TRUMP: MARCH 25, 2025 CRIME: Defrauded a Native American tribal entity of $60 million
informational · photo_2
FORMER HONDURAN PRESIDENT JUAN ORLANDO HERNÁNDEZ PARDONED BY TRUMP: DECEMBER 2, 2025 CRIME: Helped drug traffickers import more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States
informational · photo_3
BINANCE CEO CHANGPENG ZHAO PARDONED BY TRUMP: OCTOBER 21, 2025 CRIME: Failure to prevent money laundering. Binance paid a $4B fine
informational · photo_4
OZY MEDIA COFOUNDER CARLOS WATSON PARDONED BY TRUMP: MARCH 28, 2025 CRIME: Planned to defraud investors of tens of millions of dollars by misrepresenting the financial health of Ozy, ordered to pay $37M
statement · photo_5
Senator Andy Kim @SenatorAndyKim Trump has granted clemency now to more than a dozen elected officials convicted or accused of corruption - and more than 1,500 other allies, donors, and loyalist criminals. It's wrong and clemency in cases involving political corruption is only accelerating the distrust that Americans have in their government and politics. The laws of our nation apply to all. The judicial system, not the political system, is the right place to handle corruption cases.
informational · photo_6
BITMEX FOUNDERS BENJAMIN DELO, ARTHUR HAYES, & SAMUEL REED PARDONED BY TRUMP: MARCH 27, 2025 CRIME: Failing to maintain anti-money laundering programs, which violated the Bank Secrecy Act
informational · photo_7
SILK ROAD, ILLEGAL DARKNET MARKET, CREATOR ROSS ULBRICHT PARDONED BY TRUMP: JANUARY 21, 2025 CRIME: Life sentence on multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics and money laundering
informational · photo_8
REALITY TV STARS JULIE AND TODD CHRISLEY PARDONED BY TRUMP: MAY 28, 2025 CRIME: 12 and seven years for bank fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion. Ordered to pay $22M in restitution
informational · photo_9
INVESTOR MARIAN MORGAN PARDONED BY TRUMP: MAY 28, 2025 CRIME: Convicted of multiple counts of fraud and spent $10 million of defrauded investors' money on luxury cars and a waterfront mansion
statement · photo_10
Chris Murphy @ChrisMurphyCT The pardons Trump is handing out are a huge, growing scandal that not enough people are talking about. This is a money making operation - for for Trump, his family, his crypto pals, and the Trump-affiliated lobbyists and grifters who the pardon seekers pay.
informational · photo_11
FORMER ILLINOIS GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH PARDONED BY TRUMP: FEBRUARY 10, 2025 CRIME: Convicted of corruption-related crimes, including trying to sell Barack Obama's former Senate seat
informational · photo_12
FORMER NURSING HOME EXECUTIVE PAUL WALCZAK PARDONED BY TRUMP: MAY 28, 2025 CRIME: Withheld taxes from employee pay and used funds to purchase a yacht, ordered to pay $4.4M in restitution. Received pardon after his mom attended a $1M Trump fundraising dinner
informational · photo_13
NIKOLA FOUNDER TREVOR MILTON PARDONED BY TRUMP: MARCH 27, 2025 CRIME: Convicted of securities fraud and wire fraud. Ordered to pay the electric truck maker nearly $168M
statement · photo_14
cnn President Donald Trump is taking an increasingly personal role in the government's clemency process, wielding pardons with historic frequency to aid allies and advance his own political grievances.
informational · photo_15
NURSING HOME MAGNATE JOSEPH SCHWARTZ PARDONED BY TRUMP: NOVEMBER 14, 2025 CRIME: $38M employment tax fraud scheme involving nursing homes he owned across the country
informational · photo_16
PRIVATE EQUITY EXECUTIVE DAVID GENTILE PARDONED BY TRUMP: NOVEMBER 26, 2025 CRIME: Capital funds scheme defrauding individuals of $1.6B
informational · photo_17
CEO OF OAK VIEW GROUP TIMOTHY LEIWEKE PARDONED BY TRUMP: DECEMBER 2, 2025 CRIME: Pardoned after being charged by the president's own Justice Department for conspiracy to rig the bidding process for a sports arena
informational · photo_18
CONGRESSMAN HENRY CUELLAR PARDONED BY TRUMP: DECEMBER 3, 2025 CRIME: Dozen charges of bribery, money laundering and conspiracy
statement · photo_19
varela4nj Trump's pardons come with a condition: Undying loyalty. He seems to have expected Cuellar to switch parties and run as a Republican after pardoning him. It's clear the presidential pardon is no longer a tool for justice.