Trump promises mass pardons to staff before leaving office

Trump has repeatedly promised mass pardons for his top administration officials before he leaves office.

“I’ll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval,” Trump said in a recent meeting, drawing laughs from those present. He has repeated the line, with one adviser recalling him expanding the radius to anyone who came within 10 feet.

In a separate conversation last year inside the dining room next to the Oval Office, Trump told advisers he would hold a news conference and announce mass pardons before departing. No specific pardons for specific acts have been detailed.

The president raises the issue regularly with White House aides and officials whenever staff express fears of future prosecution or congressional investigations. Some aides now believe the offers are serious, noting Trump often jokes about matters he later pursues.

This term Trump has already issued roughly 1,600 pardons and commutations, far more than the fewer than 250 he granted in his first term. Many went to allies, donors, or those connected to them.

Aides worry Democrats could seize control of the House in November and launch probes into the Justice Department, Homeland Security, and the pardons themselves. Trump has discussed ways to block such inquiries.

The unconditional pardon power is one of the presidency’s broadest authorities. Advisers describe a president determined to shield himself and his inner circle from the kind of scrutiny he faced after leaving his first term.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “The Wall Street Journal should learn to take a joke, however, the President’s pardon power is absolute.”

Former Biden aide Michael LaRosa noted Biden’s pre-emptive pardons for family and officials set a precedent Trump is now exploiting.

Pardon attorney Liz Oyer, fired during Trump’s second term, warned the repeated offers could encourage officials to act more aggressively, knowing presidential protection awaits.