Trump Promises Blanket Pardons to Staff to Shield Them from Prosecution, Report Reveals

Donald Trump has reportedly been making a chilling offer to his White House staff: push his agenda hard, ignore potential legal risks, because a pardon will cover them. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump has repeatedly joked—and perhaps seriously promised—that he will pardon anyone who has come “within 200 feet of the Oval Office” before leaving office.

This expanding radius started as a quip about pardoning those within 10 feet but has grown, signaling that Trump’s intention to blanket pardon his team is no laughing matter. Sources familiar with the president’s remarks say he raised the prospect of pardons whenever aides expressed concern about possible prosecutions or congressional investigations tied to their decisions.

Liz Oyer, a former Department of Justice pardon attorney who was fired by Trump, warns that these promises could embolden officials to act more aggressively and recklessly, knowing they have a legal safety net. “It seems like he previewed many times his intent to use the pardon power to bail out those who carry out his agenda faithfully,” she said.

Trump’s pardon spree is already historic. With roughly 1,600 pardons granted this term, he has surpassed six times the total number he issued during his entire first term. This flood of pardons has raised alarms about the erosion of accountability and the potential for obstructing justice.

The White House responded to the report with a dismissive jab at the Wall Street Journal, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying, “The Wall Street Journal should learn to take a joke, however, the President’s pardon power is absolute.” But this “joke” is anything but funny for those concerned about the rule of law and democratic norms.

As Democrats prepare aggressive investigations following the midterms, Trump’s promise of blanket pardons signals a dangerous attempt to immunize his inner circle from consequences. This is not just a matter of political theater—it is a direct assault on the principle that no one is above the law.

We will be watching closely as this pardon power abuse unfolds, exposing how far the administration will go to protect itself at the expense of justice and accountability.