Latest news with #MarkBashaw
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Soldier Pardoned by Trump Shares 'Plandemic' Conspiracy Image
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A soldier pardoned by President Donald Trump shared an image associated with COVID conspiracy theories on his social media when thanking the president for his pardon. Former 1st Lieutenant Mark Bashaw was discharged from the Army in 2023 after being found guilty of refusing to obey orders around COVID-19 prevention in 2022. His official offense was listed as "violation of lawful orders," and although he was convicted, he was not sent to prison. Bashaw has been contacted for comment via email to his cryptocurrency company. 🇺🇸 I just received a Presidential Pardon from President Donald J. Trump. I am humbled, grateful, and ready to continue fighting for truth and justice in this great nation. Thank you, Mr. President @realDonaldTrump and to your incredible team, WRWY🙏 Special shout out to… — Mark Charles Bashaw (@MCBashaw) May 29, 2025 Why It Matters The Trump administration, which oversaw the initial response to COVID-19 in the U.S, including the rapid research and development of vaccines in 2020, has been working to reinstate military members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine, while firing transgender military personnel. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed 1.2 million Americans since 2020 according to the World Health Organization, and approximately 300 Americans are still dying every week from COVID infections due in part to low vaccine rates and difficulties accessing medication. What To Know Main: Lt. Mark Bashaw (right) look on during a ceremony held July 9 at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, APG North Recreation Center, July 9, 2021. Inset: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the... Main: Lt. Mark Bashaw (right) look on during a ceremony held July 9 at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, APG North Recreation Center, July 9, 2021. Inset: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Washington. More Main: Graham Snodgrass, Inset: Evan Vucci, File/Main: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, Inset: AP Photo Bashaw has been pardoned by the president, after becoming the first member of the military to be court-martialed over refusing to comply with COVID protocols. He took to X to thank Trump for the pardon, and shared an image of the Punisher logo accompanied by the phrase "Plandemic Reprimando: COVID-19 Reprimanded Ranks." He said: "Special shoutout to ... ALL the Reprimandos/Patriots who took a stand against tyranny, and most importantly Jesus Christ Almighty! Glory to God." The term plandemic refers to a conspiracy theory that the global COVID pandemic was a human-made plot created by those in power. Bashaw was found by military investigators to have violated several COVID-19 prevention protocols including refusing to wear a mask, failing to send in proof of a negative test before showing up to work, and refusing to telework. These protocols were required of soldiers who were not vaccinated against the virus. His military disciplinary record has now been expunged by the pardon. He was among 19 people granted pardons between May 27 and May 30, 2025. When Trump took office for a second time, one of his many executive orders was to reinstate members of the military who had refused COVID-19 vaccinations. The executive order states: "The military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received. Federal Government redress of any wrongful dismissals is overdue." When the vaccine mandates were announced in 2021, Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle, the U.S. Army Surgeon General said: "This is quite literally a matter of life and death for our Soldiers, their families, and the communities in which we live." Vaccines were considered "a health and readiness priority for the total Army." An Army press release in 2021 said: "While Soldiers who refuse the vaccine will first be counseled by their chain of command and medical providers, continued failure to comply could result in administrative or nonjudicial punishment—to include relief of duties or discharge. "Soldiers have the ability to request an exemption from receiving the vaccine if they have a legitimate medical, religious or administrative reason." Since being discharged from the military, Bashaw has built a cryptocurrency platform called Freedom Financial 1776. What People Are Saying Mark Bashaw on X: "Just received a Presidential Pardon from President Donald J. Trump. I am humbled, grateful, and ready to continue fighting for truth and justice in this great nation. "Thank you, Mr. President[Donald Trump], and to your incredible team, WRWY [We Are With You]." What Happens Next It is unclear at this time whether Bashaw will return to the military.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Trump pardons former army officer convicted for refusing COVID-19 test
President Donald Trump has pardoned a former Army officer who was convicted of defying Biden-era COVID requirements for the armed services. Former Lt. Mark Bashaw (pictured), who was discharged from the US Army following his 2022 conviction, was one of several people who saw their criminal records wiped away by the president on Wednesday. The father-of-three was found guilty by a military judge for violating the Department of Defense's policies for soldiers who opted not to get the COVID vaccine as mandated by then-Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin. Under the requirements, those who did not get the jab were required to work from home and only return to the office after they submit a negative COVID-19 test. Even then, they were required to wear face masks indoors. But Bashaw openly defied the rules, reporting to work without a COVID test and without wearing a mask, USA Today reports. He then became the first member of the military to be tried by a court marital over the COVID regulations - which were rescinded in 2023 when the pandemic subsided. 'I got courts-martialed because I refused to participate with lies,' he wrote in a 2023 X post. The judge overseeing his case never sentenced him, but the conviction gave Bashaw a criminal record that is now wiped clean. He had served as the company commander of the Army Public Health Center's headquarters at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, and was previously a noncommissioned officer with the Air Force. It remains unclear whether Bashaw will be reinstated in the military under Trump's January 27 executive order stipulating that the thousands of service members who were ousted under Lloyd's order could be brought back with full service. The Pentagon has since tried to woo back service members, The Hill reports. 'They never should have had to leave military service and the department is committed to assisting them in their return,' said Tim Dill, the Department of Defense's acting deputy undersecretary of personnel and readiness. But as of early April, only about 100 of the more than 8,700 ousted service members have chosen to rejoin the ranks. Bashaw was not the only person to receive a presidential pardon on Wednesday, though, as Trump followed through on his promise to pardon reality television stars Todd and Julie Chrisley (pictured). He also pardoned former Republican New York Rep. Michael Grimm, who pleaded guilty to underreporting taxable revenue from his Manhattan restaurant; former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who pleaded guilty in 2015 to election fraud; and notorious Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover. Additionally, up-and-coming rapper NBA YoungBoy (pictured) saw his gun charges thrown out. The 24-year-old rap star, born Kentrell Gaulden, pleaded guilty in December to one count linked to his 2020 gun possession arrest and a separate count tied to more recent gun charges in his home state of Utah, according to Rolling Stone. Gaulden had admitted in his plea that he was a felon in possession of a 9mm gun and a .45-caliber pistol when he was arrested filming a music video outside his grandfather's house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on September 28, 2020. He also allegedly said he 'knowingly possessed' a Sig Sauer 9mm semiautomatic pistol in his Utah home while he was serving house arrest related to the pending Louisiana case. Gaulden was ultimately sentenced to 23 months in prison on gun charges related to the 2020 case in Louisiana, along with five years probation and a $200,000 fine for the Utah gun charge, the New York Times reports. But he received credit for time served dating back to at least May 2024, when he was taken into custody following a raid on his Utah home in which authorities discovered the semiautomatic pistol. Gaulden was then released from federal prison in March and was sent to spend the rest of his sentence under home confinement. He finally became a free man last month, and has since announced his first-ever headlining tour with 32 dates across the United States. Gaulden is now free to do that, as Trump reportedly assured the rapper that he will no longer be subject to the strict terms of his probation - which included drug testing and potentially laborious approval for any travel, especially internationally. In a statement posted to his Instagram Story Wednesday, Gaulden wrote that he would like to thank the president 'for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building - as a man, as a father and as an artist. 'This moment means a lot,' he continued. 'It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this.' Drew Findling, an attorney who represented the rapper, also told the Times he is 'thrilled for Kentrell that his legal journey has come to a conclusion. 'From Louisiana to Utah, the battles have been endless and now he can concentrate on first and foremost his family and then, of course, his amazing career,' the lawyer said. 'The world is at his fingertips,' added Andrew Lieber, Gaulden's touring agent.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Health
- Washington Post
Trump pardons Mark Bashaw, former Army officer who refused covid protocols
President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned a former Army officer who was found guilty in 2022 by a military judge of violating coronavirus prevention protocols, a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Washington Post. Former 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw was convicted and sentenced to no punishment for his refusal to obey orders meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. According to the military news publication Stars and Stripes, Bashaw did not comply with orders to telework, submit a negative coronavirus test before reporting to work or wear a mask indoors.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Trump pardons former Army officer convicted for refusing to participate in Biden-era COVID 'lies'
President Donald Trump has pardoned a former Army officer who was convicted of defying Biden-era COVID requirements for the armed services. Former Lt. Mark Bashaw, who was discharged from the US Army following his 2022 conviction, was one of several people who saw their criminal records wiped away by the president on Wednesday. The father-of-three was found guilty by a military judge for violating the Department of Defense's policies for soldiers who opted not to get the COVID vaccine as mandated by then-Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin. Under the requirements, those who did not get the jab were required to work from home and only return to the office after they submit a negative COVID-19 test. Even then, they were required to wear face masks indoors. But Bashaw openly defied the rules, reporting to work without a COVID test and without wearing a mask, USA Today reports. He then became the first member of the military to be tried by a court marital over the COVID regulations - which were rescinded in 2023 when the pandemic subsided. 'I got courts-martialed because I refused to participate with lies,' he wrote in a 2023 X post. The judge overseeing his case never sentenced him, but the conviction gave Bashaw a criminal record that is now wiped clean. He had served as the company commander of the Army Public Health Center's headquarters at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, and was previously a noncommissioned officer with the Air Force. It remains unclear whether Bashaw will be reinstated in the military under Trump's January 27 executive order stipulating that the thousands of service members who were ousted under Lloyd's order could be brought back with full service. The Pentagon has since tried to woo back service members, The Hill reports. 'They never should have had to leave military service and the department is committed to assisting them in their return,' said Tim Dill, the Department of Defense's acting deputy undersecretary of personnel and readiness. But as of early April, only about 100 of the more than 8,700 ousted service members have chosen to rejoin the ranks. Bashaw was not the only person to receive a presidential pardon on Wednesday, though, as Trump followed through on his promise to pardon reality television stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. He also pardoned former Republican New York Rep. Michael Grimm, who pleaded guilty to underreporting taxable revenue from his Manhattan restaurant; former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who pleaded guilty in 2015 to election fraud; and notorious Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover. Additionally, up-and-coming rapper NBA YoungBoy saw his gun charges thrown out. The 24-year-old rap star, born Kentrell Gaulden, pleaded guilty in December to one count linked to his 2020 gun possession arrest and a separate count tied to more recent gun charges in his home state of Utah, according to Rolling Stone. Gaulden had admitted in his plea that he was a felon in possession of a 9mm gun and a .45-caliber pistol when he was arrested filming a music video outside his grandfather's house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on September 28, 2020. He also allegedly said he 'knowingly possessed' a Sig Sauer 9mm semiautomatic pistol in his Utah home while he was serving house arrest related to the pending Louisiana case. Gaulden was ultimately sentenced to 23 months in prison on gun charges related to the 2020 case in Louisiana, along with five years probation and a $200,000 fine for the Utah gun charge, the New York Times reports. But he received credit for time served dating back to at least May 2024, when he was taken into custody following a raid on his Utah home in which authorities discovered the semiautomatic pistol. Gaulden was then released from federal prison in March and was sent to spend the rest of his sentence under home confinement. He finally became a free man last month, and has since announced his first-ever headlining tour with 32 dates across the United States. Gaulden is now free to do that, as Trump reportedly assured the rapper that he will no longer be subject to the strict terms of his probation - which included drug testing and potentially laborious approval for any travel, especially internationally. In a statement posted to his Instagram Story Wednesday, Gaulden wrote that he would like to thank the president 'for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building - as a man, as a father and as an artist. 'This moment means a lot,' he continued. 'It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this.' Drew Findling, an attorney who represented the rapper, also told the Times he is 'thrilled for Kentrell that his legal journey has come to a conclusion. 'From Louisiana to Utah, the battles have been endless and now he can concentrate on first and foremost his family and then, of course, his amazing career,' the lawyer said. 'The world is at his fingertips,' added Andrew Lieber, Gaulden's touring agent.
