Trump eyes preemptive pardons

President Donald Trump said in a Time magazine interview this week that he is considering preemptively pardoning members of his administration before the end of his second term.

“Yeah, sure I'd do that”

Trump compares himself to Biden

Trump justified the idea by pointing to President Joe Biden's preemptive pardons at the end of his presidency, saying it was a disappointment to Republicans that Biden could pardon people but he could not.

“Sleepy Joe gave pardons to everybody. He gave them to Fauci.”

Biden protected Trump's targets

Biden had preemptively pardoned people whom Trump had threatened during the two thousand twenty-four presidential campaign, including former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and lawmakers and staffers of the House committee that investigated the January sixth, two thousand twenty-one attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump promised mass pardons

In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had repeatedly promised his top administration officials pardons before leaving office. Trump said in a meeting he would pardon everyone who came within two hundred feet of the Oval Office.

“I'll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval”

Trump plans mass pardon announcement

According to The Wall Street Journal report, Trump told advisers last year that he would host a news conference and announce mass pardons before he leaves office.

Democrats vow accountability push

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said a House Democratic majority would conduct aggressive oversight of the Trump administration and would fight to hold the crooks accountable. Democrats have said their top priority would focus on healthcare, including reversing Medicaid cuts and extending Obamacare tax credits.

“certainly will fight to hold the crooks accountable”

House already planning Hegseth impeachment

The House is already scheduled after Election Day to vote on a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which was introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a fierce Trump critic. The House has power to impeach and hold officials in contempt but cannot bring criminal charges.

Trump's pardon record so far

On his first day back in office last year, Trump issued pardons and commutations to roughly one thousand five hundred defendants charged in the January sixth attack on the Capitol. Since then he has issued about one hundred seventy pardons and commutations to other people convicted of crimes.

Trump's first-term clemency spree

On the last day of his first term in office, Trump granted clemency to one hundred forty-three people, including his former chief strategist and longtime ally Steve Bannon, who had been indicted on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges but had not yet faced trial.