Investigate Trump's stated intention to pardon himself and members of his administration before he leaves office. In a Newsmax interview on October 15, 2026, the president said outright, "I'm allowed to do a self-pardon," and has separately told Time magazine he is prepared to issue pardons to members of his administration. This is not speculation. He has said it repeatedly and publicly.
The Justice Department's own Office of Legal Counsel concluded in 1974 that a president cannot pardon himself. Beyond the constitutional question, the practical damage is already happening. Trump is signaling to every political appointee in the executive branch that no matter what they do, a pardon is waiting. That is an open invitation to corruption, and it will make the systemic misconduct already documented in this administration significantly worse.
Congress has a responsibility to act before this goes any further. Hold hearings. Pursue legislation that clarifies the limits of the pardon power. Make clear that blanket clemency for an entire administration is not a legitimate use of presidential authority. The pardon power was never meant to be a shield for a president and his inner circle against accountability for their own conduct in office.
First sent on October 17 by Progressive Action
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