Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

Possibility of Trump pardoning WikiLeaks’ Assange sets social media alight after rumor about decision surfaces

Possibility of Trump pardoning WikiLeaks’ Assange sets social media alight after rumor about decision surfaces

A rumor that President Donald Trump plans to pardon Wikileaks founder Julian Assange – currently facing extradition to the US on criminal charges that would put him away for life – has ignited social media with cheers and jeers.

Pro-Trump pastor Mark Burns announced in a tweet on Monday that the president planned to pardon Assange – a move the WikiLeaks founder’s supporters have been clamoring for at ever-higher volumes since Trump appeared to lose November’s vote.


The unconfirmed rumor quickly swamped social media as Assange fans begged for it to be true.

Assange’s partner, lawyer Stella Moris, reacted to the claim, asking Trump to “bring Julian home for Christmas.”


Other friends of Assange, including NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, expressed hope the pardon was legit.



However, Burns, who posted the tweet that started the rumor, later withdrew the claim, blaming a "faulty source."



As an outgoing president, many had reasoned, Trump has nothing to lose by pardoning the publisher, who is currently being held in a UK prison while Washington attempts to extradite him to face charges of violating the Espionage Act that would see him jailed for 175 years.

Pardoning the publisher who helped expose US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan would likely upset the incoming Biden administration, members of whom have called Assange a “high-tech terrorist” despite zero evidence that any document released by WikiLeaks led to harm coming to any member of the US military or government.

After spending seven years effectively under house arrest in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Assange was arrested last April and jailed on an old bail-jumping charge. He has been locked up in the UK’s Belmarsh prison ever since, fighting extradition to what would certainly be a life sentence in the US.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
×