US President Donald Trump.
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.
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. Trump had told officials he would pardon “everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval, according to the report.
The Wall Street Journal reported in April that Trump had repeatedly promised top administration officials they would receive pardons before he leaves office.
“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. Trump defended the possibility by pointing to former president Joe Biden’s use of pre-emptive pardons in the final hours of his presidency. The issue of potential prosecutions of Trump administration officials has also gained attention amid Democratic calls for investigations into several members of his administration.