In a surprising announcement Friday, President Donald Trump indicated he would grant a full and complete pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. The decision pertains to Hernandez’s conviction in 2024 on charges including conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States.

According to reports following this public statement, Hernandez was sentenced to over four decades in prison for these offenses. Trump cited respect from certain individuals regarding Hernandez receiving treatment “very harshly and unfairly.”

The announcement coincided with news of Hernandez’s conviction less than a year prior when he was found guilty of drug trafficking conspiracies. At the time, the Central American leader faced a lengthy federal sentence.

Furthermore, in his remarks promoting former President Juan Orlando Hernandez’s continued service despite being behind bars, Trump stated: “according to many people that I greatly respect,” Hernandez has been “treated very harshly and unfairly.” He emphasized, however, that if Tito Asfura wins the upcoming Honduran election, which is now likely given this statement, because they have “so much confidence in him” – their policies and what he would do for Honduras.

Trump called upon supporters to back Tito Asfura: “If he doesn’t win… the United States will not be throwing good money after bad.” The implication of his remarks condemns alternative leadership as bringing only “catastrophic results.”

The President’s comment was framed within a context suggesting ongoing Honduran success under current administration leadership, and implicitly rejecting Asfura through this public endorsement.