Trump issues pardons to 2 auto shop owners at Alaska rally

On October 14, 2026, President Donald Trump pardoned two Alaska diesel mechanics named Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming during a campaign rally for Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in Wasilla. The truckers had been charged with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act by modifying emissions-control equipment on at least 37 vehicles between July 2019 and September 2020, collecting about $100,000 for these modifications. Trump defended them, saying they were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration's "green new scam," and joked that pardoning someone means they are "as clean as a newborn baby’s a**." The pardon was seen as part of his broader effort to highlight energy investments in Alaska.