Podcast Summary: The Tai Lopez Show – Ep. 705

Pardoned By Trump: From $27 Billion to Losing it All – Trevor Milton Tells All to Tai Lopez

Date: April 22, 2025
Host: Tai Lopez
Guest: Trevor Milton, founder of Nikola Corporation

Episode Overview

In this intense, emotional, and wide-ranging interview, Tai Lopez sits down with Trevor Milton, founder of Nikola Corporation, just days after Milton was granted a full and unconditional presidential pardon by Donald Trump. Most known for building Nikola into a $34 billion company before facing federal prosecution and losing almost everything, Milton breaks his silence for the first time to discuss the rise and fall of Nikola, his criminal conviction and legal battles, the emotional and psychological toll on his personal life, systemic issues within the US justice system, and his shocking pardon by Trump.

The conversation blends first-person hardship, commentary about justice and entrepreneurship in America, and both men’s broader thoughts on technology, government, and the future.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. The Emotional Toll and Trauma of Legal Persecution

• Milton opens up about the psychological devastation he experienced, alleging profound government overreach and misconduct:

  “I'm the happiest bubbly guy in the world, and I can handle almost anything until the government comes after your family, just tries to destroy you, takes every asset you have, lies about you, destroys your name…” (00:00)

• He attributes some of the aggressive prosecution to his political associations and support for Trump.

• Milton describes a period of profound depression and near hopelessness:

  “They strip you of every single thing that they know that can drive you to the point of killing yourself. And this is what they hope you do.” (00:33)

• Tai relates and discusses the idea of “flatlining” one's emotions – a coping mechanism for surviving extreme adversity.

Notable Quote:

"Flatline it. During your period of the most hell, you are no longer allowed to have emotion... The ups and downs are what kill you." – Trevor Milton (51:05)

2. The Trump Pardon — A Literal Lifeline

• Milton recounts in detail the unprecedented moment when he received a call from President Donald Trump granting him a pardon:

  "I'm sitting at the table with my wife... all of a sudden I get a call, and it's Trump on the line..." (00:40, 64:42, 68:04)

• Trump not only reviewed his case but expressed outrage at the prosecution:

  “I’ve reviewed your case. It’s an abomination to the justice system. These people are evil, disgusting, despicable, and they’re no longer going to be able to hurt you, Trevor, ever again.” (01:14, 68:16)

• Details Trump’s warmth and detailed knowledge of Milton’s family, calling Milton cleaner than anyone, “even cleaner than I am.” (74:56)

Notable Quote:

“I wanted you to hear me when I signed it… you are officially pardoned. You are cleaner than any person on this earth… even cleaner than I am, Trevor.” – Donald J. Trump (75:23)

3. Systemic Critique: US Justice System, Prosecutors, and Jury Bias

• Milton describes being tried in New York, dragged thousands of miles from home, and facing a legal system he claims is rigged against the accused, especially in high-profile cases:

  “It is impossible, impossible to get a fair trial in New York. You're done. And so it doesn't matter who you are and how much money you have, you will be convicted 100% of the time.” (02:45, 10:06)

• Criticizes prosecutors as “trophy hunting” for careers, using high-profile cases to secure lucrative private sector jobs:

  “They use you in the resume, and they go… get these massive jobs. So they blame you for being rich, and then… become rich themselves. It’s like, disgusting.” (22:30)

• Alleges jury bias, with one juror in his case admitting online to a goal of “abolishing the billionaire class.”

  “I imagine if someone was on a jury… and their resolution was to abolish the Hispanic race… that’s how disgusting this was.” (16:56)

• Cites deep state “trophy hunting,” deep distrust in media, and the “weaponization” of prosecutors (17:56, 17:38, 97:43).

Notable Quote:

"The judges and the people… won’t stand for it [in Arizona]. In New York… they have 100% conviction rate… They incentivize misconduct, they look for those people." – Trevor Milton (17:38)

4. Nikola Corporation: Creation, Collapse, and Narrative Control

• Shares his entrepreneurial journey: from building trucks in his basement to being at the helm of a $34 billion company.

  “We built it in my basement… Peaked at $34 billion.” (07:34)

• Details allegations: Short sellers, false narratives about Nikola’s technology, and government accusations focused not on theft or fraud—but allegedly on speech and promotional language.

  “What did the government do? They indicted me for speech. That's a dangerous area… They were trying to… indict people for speech they didn't believe with.” (04:03, 24:38)

• Alleges he was prevented from presenting exculpatory evidence during trial:

  “I asked the judge… I want to show the jury the trucks. And what did he say? No… undermining the ability to have fair evidence introduced to trial.” (28:23)

• Milton maintains that no funds were misappropriated and that, in contrast, government action directly destroyed investor value:

  “The government… caused thousands of investors massive amounts of losses. Not me, the government.” (30:07)

Notable Quote:

"Not $1 was ever missing, not $1 misappropriated… They came after me because I used the present tense of a verb." – Trevor Milton (25:28)

5. Impact on Family and Personal Life

• Details the devastating impact on his marriage and family, including his wife’s near-fatal medical accident.

• Expresses regret not for himself but for the pain the ordeal caused loved ones.

  “The pain and what I had to go through… what happened with my family, what happened with them… I would only say no [if I had to do it again] because of what it did to my family.” (09:08)

• Recalls periods of abandonment and anger at God, and how his hardships forced him to rethink faith, purpose, and priorities in life (54:38–57:56).

6. Systemic Bias: Media, Banking, and Social Platforms

• Discusses being “de-banked” and losing access to basic financial services, social media, and trading platforms on the mere basis of allegations, not convictions (81:33).

  “J.P. Morgan debanked me. Chase… Twitter deleted all my followers… deep platformed across the board.” (81:33–83:42)

• Warns about the loss of innocent-until-proven-guilty in American institutions.

7. Positive Future and Criminal Justice Reform

• Milton is now committed to advocating for criminal justice reform during Trump's administration, laying out ideas for structural changes (10:14–20:25).

  “Criminal reform… is going to be one of my main focuses for the next 10 years… If we don't get it done, it'll never get done in history.” (10:14)

• Suggests giving defendants control over trial venue and limiting prosecutors' ability to "trophy hunt" (20:07–20:35).

8. Reflections on Entrepreneurship and Advice

• Shares entrepreneurship lessons: success is rare and comes after many failures; the best play to their natural strengths and curiosity, persisting in their “top 1%” skill:

  “The very best will fail a lot. You can't take that personal… Find your top 1% and you'll become wildly successful even if it takes you two or three times.” (99:38, 103:03)

• Underscores importance of time and family over money and external success:

  “The most valuable thing you have in your entire life is time and your family… when they took my freedom, assets, everything, the only thing I cared about was my family.” (106:32–108:28)

9. The Future: Technology, Matter Control, and Human Destiny

• Looks ahead with a mix of optimism and caution. Predicts that the next technological revolution may revolve around control of matter ("levitation") and that AI and quantum computers could drive unimaginable change – and risks:

  “We will learn how to crack material and matter control… That’s the… transportation, that’s the computer… and then that’s the next one.” (113:27–118:20)

• Expresses belief in coming advances, but fear about humanity’s tendency to self-destruct with new power.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Pardon & Redemption:

  "I wanted you to hear me when I signed it… you are officially pardoned. You are cleaner than any person on this earth… even cleaner than I am, Trevor.”
  – Donald Trump (75:23)

• On the Justice System:

  "It is impossible, impossible to get a fair trial in New York… 100% of the time."
  – Trevor Milton (02:45)

• On Entrepreneurial Lessons:

  "Find your top 1% and you'll become wildly successful even if it takes you two or three times."
  – Trevor Milton (103:03)

• On Wealth vs. What Matters:

  "The most valuable thing you have in your entire life is time and your family."
  – Trevor Milton (106:32)

• On Government and Reform:

  "You have to strip [government] down 90%... We ought to be turning things over to our neighborhoods, not our federal government."
  – Trevor Milton (96:31)

• On Handling Trauma:

  "Flatline it… The ups and downs are what kill you… If you can keep the flat line... you'll make it."
  – Trevor Milton (51:05)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Trevor Receives Trump's Call: 00:40, 64:42, 68:04
• Explaining the Judicial Bias & Jury Issues: 15:25–18:08, 28:00
• Nikola's Ascent and "Downhill Truck" Accusations: 07:34–14:14, 24:38–28:45
• Describing Family and Personal Collapse: 09:08, 52:21
• Systemic Media & Financial De-platforming: 81:33–83:42
• Criminal Justice Reform Ideas: 10:14–20:25
• Entrepreneurial and Life Advice: 99:38–104:41
• Speculating on Future Technology: 109:40–118:20

Memorable Moments

• Milton’s vulnerability discussing his depression, suicidal thoughts, and flatline coping strategy (51:05).
• Detailed, emotional description of Trump’s pardon calls, including Trump’s compassion and humor (74:49–76:53).
• Tai’s and Trevor’s candid discussion on building resilience through adversity and finding fulfillment beyond wealth (61:14–64:42, 106:32–108:28).
• Offbeat but intriguing predictions for the future of technology—suggesting humans will one day control matter, possibly reinventing transportation and more (109:40–118:20).

Tone and Language

• Language: Raw, unfiltered, candid. Both men occasionally swear and use vivid metaphors. Milton, especially, speaks with urgency—a mixture of disbelief, pain, and a deep desire to set the record straight.
• Tone: Largely emotional, impassioned, and sometimes conspiratorial. The spirit is combative but also introspective and, ultimately, hopeful for reform and redemption.

Summary Takeaways

• Trevor Milton frames his ordeal not as a just prosecution but as government overreach, politicization, and systemic failure.
• His journey through mental, professional, and spiritual crisis gives way to a renewed focus on personal values: family, time, truth.
• He sees the justice system, media, and financial infrastructure in the US as fundamentally broken—and makes a forceful case for radical reform.
• Despite profound loss, he remains deeply entrepreneurial, philosophical, and forward-thinking, ending on sober but fascinating predictions for society’s future.

For listeners seeking a blend of business war stories, legal drama, and heartfelt life philosophy—plus a unique, behind-the-scenes account of a Trump presidential pardon—this episode is both gripping and thought-provoking.