President Donald Trump pardoned Lil Wayne on January 20, 2021, his last day in office, eight days before the rapper was scheduled to be sentenced on a federal gun charge that carried up to ten years in prison. The pardon came less than three months after Wayne, whose legal name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., publicly met with Trump and praised his criminal justice record. The White House cited Carter’s charitable giving as justification, while advocates including attorney Bradford Cohen, liquor executive Brett Berish, Deion Sanders, and reportedly Jared Kushner lobbied Trump directly on his behalf.
What Lil Wayne Was Facing
On December 23, 2019, federal officers met Carter’s private flight at Opa Locka Executive Airport in Miami after an anonymous tip. He told them he had a gun in his bag, and a search produced a gold-plated Remington 1911 .45-caliber handgun loaded with six rounds, along with small amounts of cocaine, ecstasy, and oxycodone.1U.S. Department of Justice. Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Miami Federal Gun Charge No drug charges were filed, but Carter was a convicted felon from a 2009 New York weapons case, which made the gun itself a federal crime carrying up to ten years.2NBC News. Rapper Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Federal Weapons Charge
On December 11, 2020, Carter pleaded guilty. His sentencing was set for January 28, 2021.3Rolling Stone. Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Federal Weapons Charge The pardon arrived first.
The Endorsement That Came Before the Pardon
On October 29, 2020, five days before the presidential election, Carter met with Trump at Trump National Doral Golf Club and posted a photo of the two on Twitter. “Just had a great meeting with @realdonaldtrump @potus,” he wrote. “Besides what he’s done so far with criminal reform, the platinum plan is going to give the community real ownership.”4ABC7 News. Lil Wayne Trump Meeting The Platinum Plan was a Trump campaign initiative pitched as an economic program for Black Americans. The Trump campaign promoted the tweet to its outreach list.
The post drew sharp criticism from other artists. 50 Cent tweeted, “oh no WAYNE, I WOULD HAVE NEVER TOOK THIS PICTURE.”5Vanity Fair. Lil Wayne Donald Trump Endorsement Carter later told Rolling Stone he didn’t consider the meeting an endorsement and would “likely have declined” if asked to issue one outright.6Rolling Stone. Lil Wayne Trump Photo
Who Lobbied Trump for the Pardon
The Doral meeting was arranged by Bradford Cohen, a Florida criminal defense attorney who had been a contestant on Trump’s reality show The Apprentice in 2004. Cohen said he was not representing Carter on the federal case at the time of the meeting and that the sit-down was about criminal justice reform rather than clemency. After Carter was formally indicted in mid-November 2020, Cohen began working on a pardon petition.7Miami Herald. Bradford Cohen Role in Clemency
Brett Berish, CEO of Sovereign Brands, which owns Bumbu Rum, submitted a letter calling Carter “trustworthy, kind-hearted and generous.” Carter had an established creative partnership with the brand.8CNN. Lil Wayne Kodak Black Trump9Beverage Trade Network. Bumbu Launches New Interview Series Starring Lil Wayne Deion Sanders submitted his own letter, describing Carter as “a provider for his family, a friend to many, a man of faith, a natural giver to the less fortunate, a waymaker, and a game changer.”10WDSU. President Trump Pardons Lil Wayne in Final Hours of Presidency
Multiple reports said Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, pushed for Carter’s inclusion on the clemency list. Carter later told Rolling Stone that Kushner was a fan of his music and had told Trump, “I’m not about to watch my hero go to jail for this.”6Rolling Stone. Lil Wayne Trump Photo
The White House’s Stated Reason
In the official announcement read by press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, the administration pointed to Carter’s “generosity through commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of food banks.” The statement noted that his guilty plea was “owing to a conviction over 10 years ago,” framing the underlying felony as remote.8CNN. Lil Wayne Kodak Black Trump Cohen, who also handled a separate clemency request for Kodak Black, called the two acts “a perfect example of this administration following up on its reforms and commitments” to the African-American community.11BBC. Lil Wayne and Kodak Black Trump Clemency
Was It a Quid Pro Quo?
The sequence invited the question. Carter endorsed Trump on October 29, 2020. He was indicted on November 17. He pleaded guilty on December 11. He was pardoned on January 20, 2021, eight days before sentencing. Vanity Fair wrote that while the endorsement was not enough to swing the election, “apparently it was enough to secure him a pardon.”12Vanity Fair. Lil Wayne Donald Trump Presidential Pardon Firearm Charges
Cohen rejected the trade characterization. He said the October meeting predated any pardon work and that the clemency petition only started after the November indictment. “It never hurts that someone gets a full understanding of an individual when they’re just looking at a piece of paper,” he told Billboard. “In hindsight, I guess it worked out.”13Billboard. Lil Wayne Lawyer Denies Trump Support Tactic Pardon Carter dismissed the backlash and said the photo did not mean what people assumed.6Rolling Stone. Lil Wayne Trump Photo No evidence of an explicit deal has been publicly produced, and the pardon power under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution has been described by the Supreme Court as plenary and not subject to congressional review.14U.S. Congress. Article II Pardon Power
Where Wayne’s Pardon Fit In
Carter’s pardon was one of 143 acts of clemency Trump issued on his final day in office, consisting of 74 pardons and 70 commutations.15NBC News. Full List of Trumps Last Minute Pardons and Commuted Sentences The list included former chief strategist Steve Bannon, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.16Washington Post. Trump Pardons Rapper Kodak Black received a commutation of his 46-month federal firearms sentence the same day.17Courthouse News. South Carolina Wants Custody of Rapper Kodak Black After Trump Clemency Carter received a full pardon, which released him from punishment entirely rather than merely shortening a sentence.
The day after Joe Biden’s inauguration, Carter posted: “I want to thank President Trump for recognizing that I have so much more to give to my family, my art, and my community.”18NBC News. Trump Courts Rappers as Surrogates He has remained a vocal Trump supporter since.