President Donald Trump has repeatedly discussed the possibility of issuing broad pardons to members of his administration before leaving office, according to people familiar with his private comments. In meetings with aides and advisers, Trump has joked and at times spoken more seriously about granting clemency to officials who could face legal jeopardy or congressional scrutiny.
The talks have renewed attention to how far a president’s pardon power can reach, especially after Trump has already used that authority aggressively during his second term. Some aides have questioned whether he is laying the groundwork for sweeping, pre-emptive pardons, a prospect that has prompted critics to warn the power could be used to shield allies from future investigations.
The discussions were described as private comments reported by The, which cited people familiar with Trump’s remarks. The reported pardons would be broad and potentially pre-emptive, according to aides who questioned the motive, raising the possibility that clemency could be used not just to respond to charges already filed, but to get ahead of them.
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That is what gives the conversation its force now. Trump is still in office, still using the pardon power energetically, and still signaling that he may be willing to extend it to people around him before the legal consequences fully arrive. The unresolved question is not whether he can do it. It is how far he intends to go.
