Trump's pardon of an ex-Honduran president is shocking. So is the history of US support for him | Dana Frank

US President Trump has issued a pardon to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, a move widely condemned as hypocritical given his own administration's actions against boatloads of Venezuelan nationals accused of drug trafficking.

Hernandez's record is marked by a long list of crimes that have largely been ignored in the media narrative surrounding his pardon. These include widespread violence, extortion, murder, and corruption that were allowed to flourish during his eight-year rule due to US support.

Prior to his presidency, Hernandez was involved with drug traffickers, accepting millions from Mexican cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. He also led a 2012 coup against the Honduran Supreme Court and then illegally re-ran for president in 2016 after being barred by the constitution.

During this time, US officials actively ignored or backed Hernandez's actions, including former Secretary of State John Kerry praising his 2013 election as "transparent, peaceful, and reflected the will of the Honduran people." The US also continued to provide significant military aid to Honduras during this period, despite evidence that some members of the Honduran security forces were collaborating with drug traffickers.

Trump's actions have sparked outrage among those who point out that Hernandez's pardon ignores a more extensive history of US support for him. Critics say that those in Washington responsible for enabling Hernandez should be held accountable alongside the former president himself.

The long history of US involvement in Honduras, particularly under Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, has been marked by a consistent disregard for democratic norms and institutions. The pardon issued by Trump serves as another example of this pattern of hypocrisy and highlights the need to scrutinize the actions of those who have enabled Hernandez's rule.

As Dana Frank noted in her research on Honduras, "US intervention in Honduras is a history of repressive US policy that has consistently disregarded the country's democratic institutions."

Ugh, Trump's pardon for Juan Orlando Hernandez is just another example of how outta touch he is . I mean, come on, the dude was involved with drug traffickers and corruption galore during his presidency, and we're supposed to just forget about it? It's like, hello! You can't just pardon someone for being a complete disaster and expect everyone to be all smiles .

And don't even get me started on how the US supported Hernandez's rule. I mean, we're talking about a guy who was leading coups and accepting bribes from cartel leaders, and our top officials were just like "yeah, sure thing" . It's hypocritical, plain and simple.

It's not like Trump is the first one to do this kind of thing, either. I mean, look at all the other times US presidents have enabled corrupt dictators and ignored human rights abuses . It's a pattern that's been going on for way too long, and we need to start holding people accountable for it .

But what really gets me is how this pardon highlights the bigger issue of US involvement in Honduras . We've always been a bit too quick to intervene in other countries, even when it means undermining democracy and human rights. It's time for us to take a step back and reevaluate our foreign policy .

[Image of El Chapo with a big X marked through it, surrounded by Honduran flags and a banner that says "Hypocrisy Alert!"]

[ GIF of a person trying to justify something while being told "NOPE" in bold letters ]

[ Image of a scale tipping in favor of "hypocrisy" with a red scale weight labeled "US support for Hernandez" on one side ]

I'm totally not surprised by this pardon, tbh . It's like Trump is giving a big ol' pass to his buddies on both sides of the border. This whole thing stinks of hypocrisy, imo . I mean, we all know about El Chapo and how Trump's team turned a blind eye to it, but this pardon for Juan Orlando Hernandez takes the cake . It's like they're saying "hey, we knew about your shady past, but we'll just sweep it under the rug this one time" .

Meanwhile, Honduras is still reeling from all the violence and corruption that went down on Trump's watch. I'm not sure what's more disturbing - the fact that they're giving Hernandez a pardon or that it shows how little regard the US has for the rule of law in this country . We need to be holding those in power accountable, not just letting them get away with whatever they want .

lol what's going on with this pardon lol? Trump thinks he can just waltz in and do whatever he wants and nobody says anything. And Hernandez, dude was like a total puppet of the Mexican cartels . I mean, who needs to investigate corruption and crime when you've got powerful people backing you up, right? It's all about covering each other's backs. And the US just sits back and does nothing, which is crazy. It's not like they didn't know what was going on. They were probably just too scared to rock the boat. Trump thinks he's some kinda hero for giving this guy a free pass, but really he's just perpetuating more of the same old hypocrisy that's been going on in Washington forever . I'm not buying it.

I'm so frustrated with this pardon . It feels like Trump and his team are trying to rewrite history . Like, we all know about El Chapo and how Hernandez took millions from him, but what about all the other shady stuff? The violence, extortion, murder... that went down on his watch? It's not just about Hernandez, it's about the pattern of US support for corrupt leaders in Honduras . We need to hold our leaders accountable for enabling these kinds of regimes, not just pardoning them and moving on . The media needs to do better too, covering all the angles, not just the parts that fit Trump's narrative . I'm still waiting to see some real change...

omg, i'm so frustrated with trump's decision... it's like, one thing you'd expect from him, but another thing entirely. i mean, have we forgotten how he talks about protecting america? meanwhile, he's just protecting his buddies and friends who've done some seriously bad stuff. and the fact that he ignores all these crimes committed by hernandez is just disgusting.

i'm also really worried about what this says about our country and our values as a nation. i mean, we're supposed to be the land of justice and freedom, but when it comes down to it, sometimes those principles get trampled on by those in power. it's like, where do we draw the line? who gets pardoned and who doesn't?

i'm also thinking about all the people who have suffered under hernandez's rule... the ones who've been killed or disappeared or forced into hiding because of his actions. and now trump is just brushing it all under the rug and saying "oh, he was a good guy". no, dude, that's not how it works. we need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions, not just when they're convenient for them.

anyway, i'm just so angry right now... can't believe trump is doing this

what's good with this pardon? Trump thinks he can just wave his hand and make all Hernandez's skeletons disappear? Newsflash, dude: we all know about the cartel ties and corruption. This pardon is just another example of US politicians playing hypocrite with our tax dollars . Like, come on @Trump, you're gonna pardon a guy who was basically a puppet for Mexican cartels? That's rich coming from someone who thinks they can build a wall to keep out Latin Americans .

I gotta say, this pardon from Trump is super shady . I mean, he's got some serious 'splainin' to do about his admin's role in enabling Hernandez's all sorts of shenanigans. Like, come on, folks, we can't just ignore the fact that US officials were basically backing him up even when it was a total abuse of power . And what really gets me is how they're trying to spin this as some kind of hypocritical act on Trump's part... like, no, dude, you've been ignoring the same issues for years and now suddenly you're gonna pretend like you didn't know? . We need to be calling out all these powerful people in Washington who have been complicit in Hernandez's crimes, not just Trump himself .

I'm just saying, this pardon thingy doesn't sit right with me . Trump's all like "oh I'm doing what's best for the country" but let's be real, he's just trying to save face after his whole...whatever it is he did . And Hernandez's record? Woah, that's some crazy stuff! I mean, I've seen some sketchy politicians in my time, but this dude takes the cake . The fact that US officials were so on board with all this shady stuff is just wild . It's like, what's going on here? Are we really supposed to trust Trump's judgment now? Not buying it

Trump's pardon for Juan Orlando Hernandez is literally jaw-dropping ! Did you guys see the stats on his crime record? He's got like 47 convictions and 14 life sentences, but none of that matters because he's a US ally . I mean, what's even crazier is that his own admin was behind all this corruption . Like, did you know the US provided over $200 million in military aid to Honduras between 2012-2016? That's more than just a coincidence... chart: US Military Aid to Honduras (2012-2016) = $216 million ouch! Trump's pardon is like a slap in the face to all those Hondurans who suffered under Hernandez's rule . It's also a major red flag for US hypocrisy . The data shows that the US has been consistently disregarding democratic norms in Honduras since Obama's admin... Honduras: US Intervention & Democracy (2009-2020) = 27 instances of undermining democratic institutions

I mean, come on! Trump thinks he can just pardon this guy and everyone's like 'oh cool president' but we're all seeing the bigger picture here. Hernandez had a ton of skeletons in his closet before he even became prez, and the US was basically enabling him the whole time with their support. It's not like he just magically turned into a good guy overnight. And can we talk about how weird it is that the same people who were criticizing Hernandez for being corrupt now have no problem with Trump giving him a pardon? It's all just one big hypocrisy fest, and I'm so over it. The US has a history of backing questionable leaders, and it's time someone held them accountable.

OMG, Trump's pardon for Juan Orlando Hernandez is like, totally messed up ! Like, what's with all the hypocrisy? The guy's got some serious baggage - murder, extortion, corruption... and the US was basically backing him the whole time . I mean, I get that politics can be complicated, but come on! It feels like Trump is trying to rewrite history or something . And let's not forget about the Venezuelan nationals who've been accused of drug trafficking - it's like, what's next? A pardon for them too? This whole thing is just a major fail in my book . We need to hold those in power accountable, not sweep things under the rug .

I gotta say, this pardon move by Trump is super shady . I mean, we all know about Hernandez's sketchy record and his ties to Mexican cartels, but for the US to turn a blind eye back in 2013 and then suddenly decide to forgive him... it just doesn't add up . And what really gets my goat is that they're trying to spin this as if Trump was the only one who knew about Hernandez's issues – no way, dude! We all know there were plenty of folks in Washington who knew about his shady dealings and still gave him a pass. It's like, can we at least have some consistency here?

omg u guys can't even believe trump just gave a pardon 2 this dude Hernandez who's like literally wanted 2 kill ppl & get rich off drugs?? like what r we doing as a society when we let someone with THAT record walk free?? i feel so bad 4 the venezuelan ppl who got caught in the crossfire of our own hypocrisy. and it's not even like trump didn't know about all this stuff before, he's just using his old buddies 2 cover up his own tracks meanwhile US military aid is still being sent to Honduras & we're just ignoring the corruption & violence that comes w/it i mean what even r we doing here??

I'm telling ya, this pardon thingy just stinks to high heaven! Like, what's up with Trump suddenly becoming the forgiving type? And all these other shady dealings by Hernandez just get swept under the rug like they're nothing. It's so not cool when you got a whole list of crimes that are basically ignored while you're making it rain pardons for your BFFs... err, I mean "fellow Americans". And let's be real, we all know how Trump and his crew have been super tight with Mexico and Guzmán - talk about a conflict of interest! What's even more wild is that we got US officials basically giving Hernandez a free pass in the past too. Like, what's going on here?! Is this some kind of master plan to make America... wait for it... drug trafficking? I mean, it just don't add up and now all these questions are swirling around in my head. Did we just get duped by Trump and his crew all over again?

Trump's pardon for Juan Orlando Hernandez is like, super hypocritical fam . I mean, they're all like "oh, we're doing this good deed" but really it's just a case of same-old, same-old US backing corrupt leaders who do shady stuff . Hernandez has been involved with cartels and committing crimes left and right, and now Trump is just covering his tracks .

It's wild that they're only talking about one of his many offenses when there are so many more to go around . And let's not forget all the times US officials ignored or backed him out. Like, what even is the point of a pardon if it's just going to whitewash his entire record?

And can we talk about how this says so much about the US's history in Honduras? It's like they're saying "hey, we've done some shady stuff too, but who cares?" . But seriously, it highlights the need for accountability and making sure those in power don't get off scot-free .

Trump's pardon is just another example of how messed up things can get when politics and power are involved .

Man... what can you even say about Trump's pardon for this guy? I mean, have you seen his record? It's like a never-ending list of crime and corruption. And to think he was supported by the US government back then is just crazy talk . I remember reading about how Kerry praised him as president... it's wild to think that happened.

And what really gets me is that this pardon comes at a time when we're already talking about boatloads of Venezuelans being turned away at the border because they might be drug traffickers. It just feels like hypocrisy on steroids . I'm not buying into the "Trump did it" narrative, though... someone needs to hold those in Washington accountable for enabling this guy's regime.

It's also crazy to think about how US support has consistently disregarded democratic norms in Honduras . We need to be paying attention to what's going on over there and holding our government accountable for its actions. It's time for some real scrutiny, you know?

I don’t usually comment but it’s kinda mind-blowing to see Trump issuing a pardon to Hernandez considering how much heat his admin was giving to Venezuelans accused of similar crimes. I mean, Hernandez got away with all sorts of shady stuff, from violence and corruption to being pals with El Chapo... meanwhile, the US was all about "drugging" Venezuela's borders . It just feels like a huge double standard and it highlights how US politicians can be super selective when it comes to "helping" Honduras.

I mean, come on, Trump is literally giving a pardon to this guy who's been involved with some pretty shady stuff and it's just not adding up. Like, yeah, we're all for second chances and all, but not when it feels like someone's just trying to sweep their own dirty laundry under the rug. And let's be real, if we're gonna criticize Hernandez for his crimes, we need to be holding our own government accountable too . I mean, where was Obama and Biden on this stuff? It's all about hypocrisy and enabling at this point.