White House weighs '250 pardons for 250 years' in new wave of clemency to mark America's birthday: report [View all]
Source: The Independent
Tuesday 30 June 2026 15:12 EDT
Some White House officials are discussing the possibility of President Donald Trump marking America’s 250th birthday with a sweeping round of pardons — a proposal dubbed “250 pardons for 250 years,” according to a new report.
The mass clemency effort could be announced around the Fourth of July, more than a dozen sources familiar with the discussions told The Atlantic.
Advisers to the president are divided. Some believe the move could bolster an image he has long sought to project: “Trump the merciful.” Others worry it could further drag down the president’s already historically low approval ratings. Still, the idea has not yet been presented to Trump and may never reach him, a White House official told the outlet.
The president has already drawn scrutiny for his acts of clemency, a power granted to him by the Constitution. Since returning to office, he’s issued a historic wave of pardons for white-collar criminals and political allies, including nearly 1,600 January 6 defendants.
Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/250-pardons-white-house-trump-b3006083.html
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