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Don Jr slams Joe Exotic's 22-year jail term after watching 'Tiger King', jokes he'd lobby for his release

The president's son said the sentencing was 'aggressive'
UPDATED APR 8, 2020
(Getty Images, Netflix)
(Getty Images, Netflix)

President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, on April 6, said that he was stunned after watching the new Netflix docu-series based on disgraced zookeeper Joe Exotic, and would welcome his early release from prison. Netflix series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness has become a hit amidst the viewers, with even celebrities favoring Exotic's early release.

Trump Jr, in an interview with SiriusXM, said that he was shocked after watching Exotic, the protagonist of the seven-part series, receiving a 22-year prison sentence on multiple convictions, including two counts of murder for hire of a business rival.

The 42-year-old, during the segment, argued that Exotic's lengthy prison sentence was "too aggressive", and joked that he would even consider lobbying for his release from prison in the future. 

Donald Trump Jr, the son of US  President Donald Trump, leaves following a second closed-door interview with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 12, 2019 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

"Maybe not right now, but I can generally be for this just for the meme. And just for frankly watching the media reaction to this thing. It would be pretty amazing to ultimately see that," Trump Jr said on The Jim and Sam Show, the Daily Mail reported. 

A former zoo operator, Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, was convicted in 2019 for two counts of murder for hire, for a plot to kill his adversary, Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin. Exotic and Baskin's feud centered around their differing opinions on what constitutes animal cruelty. Exotic, accused of animal abuse, denied Baskin's claims that his roadside zoo contributed to "an industry of misery".  Exotic is currently incarcerated at Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

Still from 'Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness' (Netflix)

The president's son, however, argued against his prison sentence, claiming that the flamboyant former zookeeper has been harshly treated. "Now, I don’t even know exactly what he was charged with… I watched the show, but it was like, I don’t know exactly what he was guilty of or wasn’t," he explained. "It doesn’t seem like he was totally innocent of anything. But when they’re saying, 'We’re putting this guy away for 30 years,' I’m saying that seems sort of aggressive."

The businessman, after watching the series, also expressed shock at how affordable wild tigers are in the United States. "But do you know what the real tragedy of that whole situation is? None of us knew until now that you could have had a pet tiger for two grand."

Ever since the docu-series premiered on Netflix last month, multiple celebrities have joined in the effort to call for Exotic's release from prison. Apart from the celebrity couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, singer Cardi B has also asked for his release from a 22-year-prison sentence. The singer, last month, had said that she will set up a fundraiser for Exotic. 

Ever since his incarceration last year, Exotic began seeking a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump. He has also filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the United State federal government.

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