Key Point Summary โ Trump Shark Pardon
- Tanner Mansell received a presidential pardon on May 28
- Convicted for releasing 19 sharks and a grouper
- Incident involved cutting NOAA longline by accident
- Mansell learned of pardon while boarding a flight
- Trump personally intervened after lobbying by fishermen
- Critics slam pardon as bizarre and politically motivated
- One of Trumpโs most unusual clemency decisions yet
A Presidential Shock at 30,000 Feet
Tanner Mansell, a 31-year-old commercial fisherman from Florida, never expected his past to catch up with him mid-air. On May 28, while boarding a flight from Miami to Houston, he received a startling call. A Trump aide told him he had just been pardoned.
โI thought it was a prank,โ Mansell recalled. โBut then they read me the order. My knees buckled.โ
The sudden pardon came nearly five years after he was convicted for accidentally cutting a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research line, releasing 19 tagged sharks and a protected giant grouper.
Trump Swoops In With Shark Pardon
The 2019 incident, which took place off the coast of Key West, was originally brushed off by many as a mishap. But NOAA investigators insisted it was sabotage. Mansell denied wrongdoing but was still convicted in 2021 of interfering with a federal research operation.
He served six months in jail and paid hefty fines. The ordeal cost him his boat, his license, and nearly his sanity.
Until this week.
Trump, now in his second term, reportedly received the pardon request from a group of Gulf Coast fishermen who argued that Mansell was scapegoated by environmental overreach.
Fishermen Cheer, Critics Cry Foul
The decision sent shockwaves through Washington and beyond. Environmentalists immediately condemned the pardon.
โThis was not a harmless accident,โ said marine biologist Carla Dent. โThose sharks were part of a critical migratory study. The data was lost.โ
Trump, however, doubled down.
โTanner Mansell is a great American,โ the former president said in a campaign-style statement. โHe loves the ocean, he loves sharks. He did nothing wrong. It was a total witch hunt.โ
A String of Controversial Pardons
This latest pardon joins a long list of Trump clemency moves that have baffled both allies and critics. From rapper Kodak Black to former advisor Roger Stone, Trump has never shied from flexing his pardon power.
But this one may be his strangest.
Senator Elizabeth Warren called it โan insult to scientific research.โ Meanwhile, Rep. Matt Gaetz, a staunch Trump ally, praised the move as โstanding up for the little guy.โ
Trumpโs legal team said the pardon was based on โnew evidenceโ that NOAAโs gear was poorly marked and Mansell had no intent to interfere.
The Mystery Call That Changed Everything
Mansell had been preparing to testify in a fisheries regulation hearing when he got the call. It came from a restricted number.
โThe voice said, โMr. Mansell, this is the Office of the President. Youโve been pardoned.โ I didnโt believe it until I saw the email.โ
He sat in stunned silence as his flight took off.
Public Reaction Divided Over Trump Shark Pardon
Public opinion has been explosive. While conservative radio hosts cheered the decision, many in the scientific community were stunned.
โTrump is playing games with conservation,โ said Ocean Defense League spokesperson Megan Rao.
Social media exploded with memes of Trump hugging a shark and jokes about โSharkgate.โ
A Legal Gray Zone
The NOAA fine print around research lines is complex. Technically, anyone who tampers with federal marine equipment can face charges. Mansellโs case hinged on whether he knew what he was cutting.
The government said yes. His defenders said the lines werenโt properly labeled.
Trump sided with the latter.
โIt was a fishing line in the water. Come on,โ he said at a rally in Pensacola.
Looking Ahead: Will Laws Change?
The pardon has renewed calls for reform in NOAA enforcement. Lawmakers are now reviewing whether criminal penalties are too harsh for nonviolent infractions.
โWe canโt jail fishermen over unclear guidelines,โ said Sen. Rick Scott.
Meanwhile, Mansell is trying to rebuild.
โI just want my life back,โ he said. โI didnโt ask to be the shark guy.โ
He may not have asked, but now heโs the poster child for Trumpโs latest war on the โdeep sea state.โ
Trumpโs Wildest Pardons Yet
- Joe Arpaio, convicted of contempt
- Roger Stone, convicted of obstruction
- Rod Blagojevich, imprisoned for corruption
- Dinesh DโSouza, convicted of campaign finance violations
- Scooter Libby, convicted of perjury
- Steve Bannon, fraud indictment
- Now, Tanner Mansell, โthe shark manโ
With 18 months to go in his second term, insiders say more oddball pardons may be on deck.
โStay tuned,โ Trump teased. โThe best is yet to come.โ
Final Bite
Tanner Mansellโs story is more than a quirky legal case. It reflects a deeper debate over science, government power, and presidential privilege. And it proves, once again, that with Trump, nothing is ever off-limits.
As for the sharks?
They swam away.
And so, finally, did Tanner Mansell.