Tiger King star Joe Exotic has written a letter to President-elect Donald Trump, begging for his early release from prison.

In the letter obtained by RadarOnline, the 61-year-old — whose real name is Joe Maldonado-Passage — asks to be released from the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Exotic, who went viral thanks to the hit 2020 Netflix documentary, shared his support for Trump, 78, while stressing the hardships of his current condition.

“A lot of people went to bat for you in 2021 who have been living in hell ever since then,” wrote Exotic, who is serving 21 years in prison for his murder-for-hire case against rival Carole Baskin. “Everyone hopes you keep the promises you made during your campaign, which include pardoning everyone sooner than later in January 2025.”

“Some, like myself, have fought like hell to hang on, hoping for you to win this election,” he continued, noting he had been “scared as hell” of Vice President Kamala Harris potentially winning.

He also took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, November 12, to share an article from The Daily Beast about possible Trump pardons, with the caption, “Trump you got to make my Pardon Happen in January. The media is counting on you this time.”

The former owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, was arrested in 2019. He was convicted of two counts of murder for hire, nine counts of violating the Endangered Species Act, and nine counts for violations of the Lacey Act, a law that prohibits the illegal trafficking of wildlife, fish, and plants — and is set to be released in 2036.

Exotic, however, is hoping to be released in 2025, as his legal team has filed an appeal for a retrial based on alleged newly discovered evidence. His attorney, Roger Roots, said that their evidence shows that his client’s trial was “fundamentally riddled with errors that went to the very heart of the accusations.” He added, “Had that evidence been known at the time, he would not have been convicted.”