President Trump held a midterm campaign rally in Wasilla, Alaska, on October 13, 2026, at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center—and during it he signed on-stage presidential pardons for two local diesel mechanics/shop owners.
This was the first time a sitting president held an event in the Mat-Su (Matanuska-Susitna) region. The rally packed the roughly 3,500-capacity venue in support of Republican candidates, especially U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (facing Democrat Mary Peltola), U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, and gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson (whom Trump endorsed earlier that day on Truth Social).
Speakers included Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the candidates. Trump spoke for nearly 90 minutes, touted energy projects (including claims about foreign investment in the Alaska LNG pipeline), urged a “yes” vote on Ballot Measure 2 to repeal ranked-choice voting (calling the system a “scam”), and closed with familiar MAGA themes.
The “Made-For-History” Moment
Midway through, Trump called two men onto the stage and signed full, unconditional pardons for them with a pen in front of the crowd.
The men were Zachary Czubak (or Czubac) and Patrick Fleming, co-owners of Arm Rippin Toys (an Anchorage diesel vehicle repair shop).
They had pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act for removing federally mandated emissions-control equipment and tampering with monitoring/diagnostic devices on at least 37 private and commercial diesel vehicles (roughly July 2019–September 2020).
The shop charged fees for the work (reported around $100,000 total). Sentences included probation, fines of about $66,000 each, and community service; none served prison time. A third co-owner, Michael Hanzuk II, was also referenced (and had previously been pardoned or was covered in the action).
President Trump framed the cases as Biden-era DOJ overreach that “viciously targeted the Alaskan way of life,” saying they faced potential long sentences “because they fixed an engine” that performed poorly in extreme cold.
He called the charges “sick” or absurd, took a jab at Biden’s use of an autopen, and said he was giving them (and the third person) unconditional pardons so they were “as clean as a newborn baby.”
One of the men thanked him onstage, noting the prosecution had destroyed friendships and families and that they were trying to help Alaskans keep diesel trucks running.
This continued a pattern of President Trump pardoning people convicted in similar Clean Air Act “defeat device”/emissions-tampering cases (including a prior pardon for Wasilla mechanic Mackenzie “Mac” Spurlock).
The DOJ had also shifted policy earlier in 2026 away from criminally pursuing certain onboard-diagnostic tampering cases.
Protests occurred outside the venue. The event was widely covered as both a standard campaign stop in a strong Republican area and a theatrical use of clemency power.
The crowd got the expected campaign speech—plus the public on-stage pardons that made the “pen in hand and two grateful Alaskans” moment.
Until next time…
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