Trump Grants Pardons to Alaska Diesel Mechanics During Rally

<p>President Donald Trump announced pardons for two Alaska diesel mechanics during a midterm rally on October 13, 2026, in Wasilla. He brought Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming, co-owners of an Anchorage diesel repair shop, onstage to sign clemency documents while discussing major energy investments and infrastructure projects in Alaska.</p><p>Czubak and Fleming had pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act. Trump stated, "I'm giving each one of the three an unconditional pardon," also mentioning an earlier pardon for Mackenzie "Mac" Spurlock, another diesel shop owner from Wasilla.</p><p>The president defended the mechanics, arguing that their work was essential for maintaining trucks in Alaska's extreme cold and claimed that their prosecutions under the Biden administration were unjust. According to the Biden Justice Department, Czubak and Fleming, along with another co-owner, admitted to removing federally required emissions-control equipment and tampering with monitoring devices on at least 37 diesel vehicles between July 2019 and September 2020.</p><p>Federal prosecutors indicated that the shop collected approximately $100,000 for these modifications. While signing the clemency documents, Trump criticized former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen, stating, "So I'm going to sign this now, something that Joe Biden would be unable to do because he was unable to sign his signature."</p><p>Trump expressed his enjoyment of the presidential pardon power, saying, "What an honor. I love doing this stuff." One of the pardoned men expressed gratitude, describing the personal impact of the prosecution, stating, "It really did destroy us. It destroyed friendships. It destroyed families."</p><p>The pardons were announced during a rally where Trump also discussed Alaska's energy future, including the approval of a long-awaited 800-mile natural gas pipeline, stating, "Every single permit that you need, you can start tonight. Every single permit that you need has been granted."</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for additional details on the project's federal permitting status.</p>