Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna is facing severe online backlash after calling for the pardon of an active-duty Army soldier.
The Department of Justice recently indicted the service member for allegedly using classified information to place wagers on the prediction market Polymarket.
Court documents state the soldier placed approximately $33,000 in bets regarding the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ahead of Operation Absolute Resolve.
Luna addressed the arrest in a video posted to X, characterizing the federal indictment as a case of “skewed justice.”
She argued that prosecuting the soldier is unfair while members of Congress are “insider trading yet facing no charges.”
The congresswoman specifically named Nancy Pelosi, claiming the former speaker “made over 17,000% returns” on her investments.
Because she believes he did not leak classified information, Luna stated she will ask for the soldier to “receive a pardon” while forcing him to disgorge profits.
Voters Reject Congressional Deflection
The demand for executive clemency immediately sparked criticism from voters who accused the lawmaker of excusing a national security risk.
Frustration over the tactical implications dominated the conversation, with one critic emphasizing that “2 wrongs don’t make a right. This service member was a part of an elite team. He compromised the mission.”
That demand for absolute accountability extended beyond the military, as another commenter noted that “this soldier doesn’t get a pass if found guilty and neither should anyone else regardless of position including the POTUS.”
Many voters pointed out the legal differences between the two situations, writing that “what members of Congress are doing may be distasteful, but it’s largely legal under current law. If that’s the problem, change the law. What this soldier did is already illegal. Big difference.”
This sentiment fueled anger over her legislative inaction, prompting one resident to demand she “then do something about congress instead of tweeting you worthless [expletive].”
However, a faction of supporters strongly agreed with her assessment of federal priorities, with one validating her frustration by stating, ” completely agree! I was pissed odd when I heard they went after the little guy bragging about “Justice!”
Another supporter adopted Luna’s logic to directly defend the soldier’s wagers, arguing that “DJT needs to pardon that soldier. He didn’t leak classified intel. He could have easily lost that bet. Bro was betting on the homies.”
The intense back-and-forth highlights the sharp division among voters over the proposed pardon.
