President Trump has been saying he'll leave no staffer unpardoned when his time in office ends, insiders say. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources "familiar with his private comments," reports that the president has repeatedly joked to aides and advisers that he'll pardon essentially anyone who has been near him in the West Wing, at one point saying he'd clear "everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval." In another meeting earlier this year, he delivered a similar line but put the distance from the Oval Office at 10 feet. The remarks, often delivered with a laugh, have been frequent enough that some staff now trade jokes about them, though many believe he's serious.
Trump has floated the idea of a farewell news conference to announce sweeping pardons for administration officials, the sources say, though they aren't aware of specific promises tied to specific conduct. He has also raised pardons when aides worry that decisions could lead to prosecutions or congressional inquiries. Democrats have said they could launch multiple investigations if they win control of the House in the midterms. The White House pushed back on criticism of the comments. "The Wall Street Journal should learn to take a joke, however, the President's pardon power is absolute," said White House press secreatary Karoline Leavitt.
The power is one Trump has embraced. In his current term, he has pardoned more than 1,800 people, far more than in his first term, including around 1,500 who took part in the Capitol riot, the Guardian reports. Other pardons have benefited allies and donors, including a crypto billionaire whose company supported Trump's digital-currency venture. Trump has also pardoned numerous sports figures and issued pre-emptive pardons to Rudy Giuliani and others involved in his attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
- His approach comes after President Joe Biden's own controversial end-of-term pardons for several associates and family members, including his son Hunter. Former Biden aide Michael LaRosa said Biden "cracked the door open" on boundaries of the pardon power, and "we can't now complain about Donald Trump walking through it, even if he blows it wide open."
- Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham tell the Journal that during his first term, Trump rarely mentioned pardoning aides, though when she said she could face legal problems for violating the Hatch Act, Trump joked, "Who cares? You know who is the boss of the Hatch Act, and I'll pardon you."
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