President Trump has repeatedly told senior members of his administration that he intends to issue pardons for those close to him before he leaves office, people familiar with his comments told the Wall Street Journal.
In a recent gathering, the president said: "I’ll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval," a remark that those present said drew laughter. According to the same sources, the distance referenced in the joke appears to have changed over time - one person who met with the president earlier this year said he made a similar quip about pardoning anyone who had come within 10 feet.
People who were present at a separate meeting last year in the dining room adjacent to the Oval Office said the president discussed planning a news conference to announce mass pardons prior to his departure from office. Those who relayed the conversations to the Journal said they were not aware of any specific pardons being promised to named individuals for particular acts.
The accounts cited by the Journal describe repeated, informal remarks by the president to top administration officials about his intention to use the pardon power broadly. Sources characterized some of the comments as jocular, noting the laughter they produced in meetings.
Beyond the reported quips about a physical radius around the Oval Office and the mention of a possible news event to announce multiple pardons, the people who spoke to the Journal did not point to concrete offers or identify individuals who have been guaranteed clemency for distinct actions.
Given the descriptions provided by those familiar with the conversations, the public record described in the reports consists of the president's repeated statements about his plan to pardon aides and associates, the changing way he framed those remarks in different meetings, and the absence of information from those sources about specific pardon commitments.
Summary
According to people who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump has told senior administration officials on multiple occasions that he plans to pardon them before he leaves office, making jocular remarks about pardoning anyone within a given distance of the Oval Office and indicating he might hold a news conference to announce mass pardons. Those reporting the remarks said they did not know of any specific pardons being offered to particular individuals for particular acts.
Key points
- President Trump has repeatedly told top administration officials he plans to pardon them before leaving office, according to people cited by the Wall Street Journal.
- In a recent meeting the president said, "I’ll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval," a comment that drew laughter; another person said he joked about pardoning anyone within 10 feet.
- The president reportedly said he would hold a news conference to announce mass pardons; those familiar with the conversations said they were not aware of specific pardons tied to named individuals or particular acts.
Risks and uncertainties
- It is unclear which individuals, if any, would be the recipients of pardons - sources said they were not aware of specific offers to particular people for particular acts.
- The scope and timing of any mass pardon announcement remain uncertain despite the president's reported statements about holding a news conference.