During his speech at the midterm rally in Wasilla on October 13, 2026, President Donald Trump announced unconditional pardons for mechanics Zachary Czubak, Patrick Fleming, and Michael Hanzuk, the co-owners of Arm Rippin Toys. He acknowledged their prosecutions as an attack on the Alaskan way of life and practical necessity in extreme cold. Like MacKenzie “Mac” Spurlock, who received a presidential pardon in July of this year, these three Alaskans had also been prosecuted for modifying diesel engines so trucks could operate safely in subzero conditions without stranding the drivers.
In cold weather, emissions controls in diesel engines—including but not limited to diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)—often struggle to reach or maintain proper operating temperatures, causing the systems to register faults even when the engines are running normally. These systems have created life-threatening situations for truckers, including one trucker whose vehicle shut down in a blizzard on the Dalton Highway, a 400-mile stretch of road leading to Prudhoe Bay with only one gas station.
The owners of Arm Rippin Toys had been convicted of Clean Air Act conspiracy charges for tampering with the emissions controls in diesel engines. “They want to put them in jail for 10 years because they fixed an engine. I’m sick. Now if you murder somebody, no problem? Unless a Republican does the murdering, then it’s, you know, the electric chair. If you murder somebody, if you brutalize somebody, you can do anything you want. But if you fix an engine…”
Referring to the earlier pardoning of Mac Spurlock, Trump commented: “So, they arrested him and many others and they want to put him in jail for years and Mary Peltola and Bill Hill— another lunatic— did not say a single word for the trucker’s defense, but Dan Sullivan and Nick did and they stood up to defend him.”
Trump then announced the pardons directly: “I’m giving each one of the three unconditional pardons. That means… you’re as clean as a newborn baby’s ass.” Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming received their pardons on stage at the rally. Michael Hanzuk had received his pardon prior to the event.
Czubak then addressed the crowd from the stage: “I’m not too good at this but I have to say something. This means the world to me. Everything. It really did destroy us. It destroyed friendships, it destroyed families. We’re not criminals. We’re not trying to hurt anybody. We want to help a lot of people.” His remarks emphasized that the work was intended to assist Alaskans and prioritize safety rather than cause harm.
