President's Pardon Power To Be Curbed Under New Proposal [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Dec 30, 2025 at 11:38 AM EST
A group of Democrats are seeking to curb the president's pardoning powers by amending the U.S. Constitution. Posting on X, California Democrat Mike Levin issued a statement about a constitutional amendment he is co-sponsoring "to reform the pardon power" by banning self-pardons, barring pardons for family members, senior officials and campaign staff and blocking pardons "used to protect the president's personal or financial interests."
The proposal was first introduced to Congress in January and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary in the same month. It was sponsored by Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen and the other co-sponsors are California Democrat Ted Lieu, Oregon Democrat Suzanne Bonamici and Georgia Democrat Henry Johnson.
Levin said "presidents of both parties have misused" pardoning powers but raised particular concerns about President Donald Trump's use of pardons.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: “President Trump has exercised his constitutional authority to issue pardons and commutations for a variety of individuals. And the only pardons anyone should be critical of are from President Autopen, who pardoned and commuted sentences of violent criminals including child killers and mass murderers– and that’s not to mention the proactive pardons he ‘signed’ for his family members like Hunter on his way out the door.”
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-pardon-power-constitution-11283172
Like YOUR dear leader did for his son-in-law's FATHER - Charles Kushner, who was later confirmed as Ambassador to France? THAT "family member"?
The presidential pardon system is broken.
— Rep. Mike Levin (@levin.house.gov) 2025-12-30T00:42:20.244Z
Right now, there are no meaningful checks on the President’s pardon power. That makes it ripe for abuse, and it’s a threat to the rule of law.
That’s why I support a constitutional amendment to put commonsense limits in place.
Link to tweet
@RepMikeLevin
The presidential pardon system is broken.
Right now, there are no meaningful checks on the President’s pardon power. That makes it ripe for abuse, and it’s a threat to the rule of law.
That’s why I support a constitutional amendment to put commonsense limits in place: no self-pardons, no pardons for family, administration officials, or campaign staff, and no pardons for anyone whose crimes were committed to benefit the President or those closest to them — or carried out at a President’s direction.
It is time to protect the Constitution and the rule of law with common sense limits that restore public trust.
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7:43 PM · Dec 29, 2025
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