Trump says he would pardon admin officials before leaving White House, cites Biden pardons
US President Donald Trump said he would consider pre-emptively pardoning members of his administration before the end of his second term, telling Time magazine that he would have no issue granting clemency to officials who could face investigations or prosecution after he leaves office.“Yeah, sure I’d do that,” Trump said in the interview, published Thursday, when asked whether he would pardon members of his administration.Trump defended the possibility by pointing to former president Joe Biden’s use of pre-emptive pardons in the final hours of his presidency. “Sleepy Joe gave pardons to everybody,” Trump said, referring to Biden’s pardons for former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mark Milley, Dr Anthony Fauci and members and staffers of the House committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.Biden had issued the pardons amid concerns that Trump could target people who had been critical of him after returning to the White House.Biden also granted a sweeping pardon to his son Hunter Biden in December 2024, despite the administration previously saying he would not do so.Trump’s comments came as he discussed the possibility of Democrats regaining control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections and launching investigations into his administration.“They’ll probably go after me and I’ll go after them,” Trump told Time when asked how he was preparing for a possible Democratic House majority.The Wall Street Journal reported in April that Trump had repeatedly promised top administration officials they would receive pardons before he leaves office. According to the report, Trump had told officials he would pardon “everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval.”The issue of potential prosecutions of Trump administration officials has also gained attention amid Democratic calls for investigations into several members of his administration.Trump has already exercised his clemency powers extensively during his second term. On his first day back in office in January 2025, he pardoned or commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot.Since then, Trump has issued about 170 additional pardons and commutations to people convicted of crimes, according to a list maintained by the US Justice Department.The House can impeach federal officials and hold them in contempt of Congress, though it does not have the power to bring criminal charges. A resolution seeking to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is also scheduled for a vote after the midterm elections.
Source link
