PANews reported on November 5th that, according to The Block, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated at a press conference on Tuesday that the pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao underwent a standard review process before being submitted to President Trump's desk for final approval. Last Sunday, in an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," Trump defended his decision to pardon Zhao, claiming he did not know Zhao and that the prosecution was "political persecution orchestrated by the Biden administration." Leavitt clarified on Tuesday that Trump's remarks were intended to suggest he did not know Zhao. She said, "He meant that he doesn't know Changpeng Zhao, that he has no personal relationship with this person." Leavitt stated that the pardon process was handled with "extreme seriousness." Leavitt also claimed that Zhao was subjected to excessive prosecution by a "weaponized Department of Justice," echoing Trump's criticism of the previous administration's handling of the case.