U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned nine people who violated emission control systems in diesel vehicles. In a statement on his Truth Social account, Trump announced six of the pardons, claiming that these individuals were 'persecuted by the Biden Administration' and punished 'for repairing their cars.'
Eight of those pardoned were diesel mechanics or vehicle tuners who sold or installed illegal 'defeat devices' on trucks. These devices allow trucks to bypass federal emission controls and suppress malfunction warnings.
When emission systems are disabled, many diesel trucks enter a 'limp' mode that can reduce speed to as low as 8 kilometers per hour. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these malfunctions are extremely common and have caused major problems for truckers and farmers for years.
Among those pardoned, Matthew Geouge operated two companies that sold illegal tuning devices. According to a 2021 plea agreement, he earned more than $10 million from the sale of these devices alone.
Another pardon recipient, MacKenzie 'Mac' Spurlock, a mechanic in Alaska, had modified emission controls to prevent vehicles from breaking down in extreme cold weather. Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan celebrated Spurlock's pardon, saying, 'Four years ago, about 30 armed EPA agents conducted a military-style raid on Matanuska Diesel, owned by Alaska Air National Guard veteran and small business owner Mac Spurlock.'
Sullivan added that Spurlock's shop 'modified a few diesel emission control systems mandated by a one-size-fits-all emission regulation from the Obama era, ensuring vehicles would not shut down in Alaska's harsh, sub-zero conditions.'
Other pardoned individuals included Ryan and Wade Lalone, Tim Clancy, Joshua Davis, Barry Pierce, Aaron Rudolf, and Jonathan Achtemeier. The Trump administration had announced in late January 2026 that no criminal prosecutions would be initiated against manufacturers, distributors, and users of defeat devices, but fines could still be imposed.
