Trump Pardon: Todd Chrisley recounts the first words he heard after surprise clemency

“Free and clean”: Inside the call that preceded the Chrisley pardons

Todd Chrisley says the first words he heard from Donald Trump after learning he’d been granted clemency were a promise: his family would be “free and clean.” The reality TV star described the moment at a May 30 press conference, three days after he and his wife Julie received presidential pardons that ended their federal prison terms for fraud-related convictions.

Chrisley said the assurance came in a recorded phone call Trump held with their daughter, Savannah. In that conversation, according to the family, Trump told her, “Your parents are going to be free and clean and I hope that we can do it by tomorrow,” adding that, based on what he’d heard, the couple had faced “pretty harsh treatment.” The former president later acknowledged he had never met Todd Chrisley before deciding to act.

The Chrisley case has been a flashpoint since the couple’s 2022 convictions on bank fraud and tax offenses. They reported to federal prisons in early 2023 while pursuing appeals and public campaigns insisting they were targeted. Their reality show, Chrisley Knows Best, turned the family into household names long before the trial, and their daughter Savannah became the public face of the case as the parents served time.

At the Atlanta news conference, Todd Chrisley described a prison system he called dehumanizing and at times chaotic. He also suggested that new information about alleged misconduct in their case would surface, hinting at a longer fight to clear the family’s name beyond the pardon itself. Savannah joined him at the podium, repeating a theme she has leaned on for more than a year: that the justice system treats conservatives and Christians unfairly.

The pardons dropped Chrisleys’ legal jeopardy at a stroke—and opened a political debate. Trump framed the decision as part of a bigger campaign to undo what he calls the weaponization of law enforcement. That theme has defined his approach to clemency in his new term, alongside a sweeping round of actions he took on Inauguration Day for defendants prosecuted after the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

How the Chrisley pardons fit into Trump’s broader clemency agenda

Presidential pardons are constitutional, unilateral, and powerful. They forgive federal convictions, restore civil rights, and remove many legal disabilities that follow a person after prison. They do not declare someone innocent, expunge records, or automatically erase restitution. A commutation shortens a sentence. A full pardon does more—wiping the conviction’s future legal effects. The words “free and clean,” used by Trump in the call with Savannah, signaled a full pardon, not merely a sentence reduction.

There’s a standard process for clemency petitions inside the Justice Department, run by the Office of the Pardon Attorney. Presidents can follow that system—or ignore it. Trump has often favored a direct, personal approach, weighing public appeals, media coverage, and recommendations from allies alongside or instead of DOJ reviews. The Chrisley case fit that mold: a high-profile family, a relentless public advocate in Savannah, and a narrative of government overreach that aligns with Trump’s political messaging.

Supporters point to the couple’s years of public advocacy, the intense attention on the case, and what they describe as disproportionate punishment. Critics see something else: a celebrity-driven detour around the normal vetting process, with the White House acting on a famous last name and a sympathetic narrative rather than a thorough review of the record.

The reactions also break down along ideological lines. For conservative media figures and religious broadcasters who have featured the Chrisleys, the pardons read as proof that a sympathetic White House can correct perceived bias in prosecutions. For legal experts wary of politicized clemency, they are an example of how individual stories and presidential instincts can overshadow the slow, paper-heavy process meant to surface less visible cases.

The timing took even some allies by surprise. Chrisley said he learned of the decision as it was being finalized, with Savannah relaying Trump’s pledge that he wanted the parents “free and clean” as soon as possible. Trump’s aside—that he had never met Todd before—underscored how unusual the pardon looked from the outside. Most people who receive clemency never speak to the president, but presidents also rarely speak so bluntly about acting on secondhand impressions.

For the family, the legal effect is immediate. A full pardon can restore voting and jury service rights, remove restrictions on employment and licensing, and halt any remaining supervised release tied to the conviction. It does not block civil or tax liabilities, and it doesn’t prevent state investigations if they exist. Chrisley hinted that the coming months will bring disclosures meant to challenge the original case, despite the pardon closing the door on further federal punishment.

Context matters here. On day one of his term, Trump issued mass clemency to people charged or convicted in connection with January 6. He cast that wave as a rebuttal to “past misconduct by the Federal Government.” The Chrisley action flows from the same logic: if you believe federal law enforcement has been used to punish the wrong people, you use the pardon power to erase those punishments.

Savannah paved the way for that argument long before the paperwork was signed. She spoke from major conservative stages and podcasts, calling the system “two-faced” and saying Christians and conservatives are unfairly labeled as extremists. Her advocacy kept the story alive after the cameras moved on from the original verdicts. When Trump gave her the now-famous line—“Your parents are going to be free and clean”—it tied her campaign to the White House in a direct and public way.

There’s also a cultural angle. The Chrisleys weren’t just defendants; they were TV personalities whose brand was family life under pressure. That made their prosecution and prison time a story about celebrity and character as much as about the law. The pardon brings them back into a spotlight that can be both a platform and a test—especially if they plan to reveal what they say is “more evidence” of misconduct.

If you strip away the fame, the case still shows how unpredictable presidential mercy can be. Thousands of people apply for clemency through formal DOJ channels each year, and most never hear back. A handful of high-profile cases—boosted by sustained media attention—cut the line. Trump is not the first president to lean into famous petitions, and he won’t be the last, but his rhetoric about a “weaponized” system makes each choice feel like a political statement, not just a legal remedy.

So what happens next? For the Chrisleys, reentry is immediate and public. They’ll navigate jobs, reputations, and any remaining financial obligations. For their supporters, the pardons validate a yearslong message about bias in prosecutions. For critics, they raise familiar worries about a White House bypassing a careful review process. And for people still inside the system, it’s a reminder that mercy—no matter who holds the pen—is uneven.

One thing is certain: the quote that defined the week—“free and clean”—will follow the family. It sums up the power of the presidency in plain language, and it sets expectations high. A pardon doesn’t rewrite history, but it does change futures. Whether the Chrisleys use this moment to litigate the past in the court of public opinion, or to move past it, their story now doubles as a case study in how a Trump pardon lands in public life.

• Key dates: May 27, 2025 — pardons issued for Todd and Julie Chrisley.
• May 30, 2025 — Todd Chrisley and Savannah hold a press conference detailing the call and criticizing the justice system.
• Earlier: 2022 convictions on bank fraud and tax-related charges; federal prison terms began in 2023.
• Broader context: Trump’s new-term clemency push framed as undoing “weaponization of law enforcement,” including mass actions tied to January 6 cases.