It was only a matter of time.
With Netflix's Tiger King having launched Joe Exotic to superstardom, the former zoo owner has used his newly found fame to attempt to find a way out of prison.
He was sentenced to 22 years behind bars in 2019 for attempting to hire a hitman to murder animal rights activist Carole Baskin and a number of animal abuse charges. He has always maintained his innocence.
A number of fans of the show also believe he should be released, with Exotic recently admitting he would seek a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.
While that still remains incredibly unlikely, the question has now been directly asked.
Donald Trump Jr. recently discussed the subject, with his father then following suit. The US President was asked about the possibility of pardoning Exotic in a press conference yesterday, and while he didn't seem to know all that much about the circumstances of his conviction, he said he would 'take a look at it'.
A reporter asked #DonaldTrump if he would be pardoning #TigerKing’s #JoeExotic 😂 pic.twitter.com/EhPUZDfNg9
— digitalfeedmedia (@digitalfeedtv) April 9, 2020
I know nothing about it. He got 22 years for what, what did he do?
Do you think he didn't do it, are you on his side? Are you recommending a pardon?
As a reporter you're not allowed to do that, you would be criticised by these. Would you recommend a pardon? I don't think you would.
I'll take a look.
It is almost certain that Donald Trump was joking here, but knowing him, there's always a chance he could do something mad like use a presidential pardon to release Joe Exotic.
After all, he will have an election to win later this year. Finding a way to get the popular Tiger King star out of prison could be a great way to rack up some extra votes.
Of course, he may not be as keen when he finds out that Exotic actually ran against him in the 2016 presidential election.
