How many pardons did Obama give?
Asked by: scraper | Last update: August 26, 2026Score: 0/5 (0 votes)
President Barack Obama granted 212 pardons during his two terms in office.
How many pardons did each president give?
Presidential pardon totals vary significantly by administration, with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the Pardon Attorney providing official tallies dating back to 1900.
How many pardons has Obama done?
President Barack Obama granted 212 pardons over his two terms in office.
How many pardons did Bill Clinton give?
Bill Clinton granted a total of 459 acts of executive clemency during his presidency (1993–2001), which included 396 pardons and 63 commutations. Notably, 140 of these pardons were issued on his final day in office, January 20, 2001.
How many pardons did Jimmy Carter grant?
Jimmy Carter pardoned hundreds of thousands of people during his presidency. His most significant act was the unconditional pardon of an estimated 200,000 to 250,000 Vietnam War draft evaders on his first full day in office. Excluding this blanket pardon, he granted clemency or individual pardons to 566 individuals.
Would President Obama pardon Clinton?
How many pardons did Trump have in 2020?
Trump issued a total of 144 pardons during his first four years in office: 1 in 2017, 6 in 2018, 11 in 2019, 52 in 2020, and 74 in January 2021. N/A – Arpaio's pardon was issued after his conviction, but prior to his being sentenced.
Why did Barack Obama pardon so many people?
Obama did so, as one of his final acts in office, in order to reduce what he viewed as overly harsh punishments.
Are you still a convicted felon if you get a presidential pardon?
Yes, legally you are still considered a felon because a presidential pardon does not erase or expunge the conviction from your criminal record. A pardon serves as an act of forgiveness rather than vindication, leaving the historical fact of the crime intact.
What are Obama's biggest achievements?
Barack Obama’s major accomplishments span landmark healthcare reform, historic economic recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, pioneering climate change agreements, and sweeping social equality milestones. As the 44th President of the United States, his tenure from 2009 to 2017 included the following key achievements:
Can a president pardon themselves?
It is constitutionally unclear whether a President can pardon themselves, as the issue has never been tested in court or used by a sitting President. The U.S. Constitution grants broad pardon power, but legal scholars are sharply divided on its limits.
Are there limits to presidential pardons?
Yes, there are limits to presidential pardons. The U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 2) restricts the pardon power to federal offenses only—not state crimes—and explicitly prohibits their use in cases of impeachment. While broad, the power cannot be used to bypass constitutional rights or authorize future illegal acts.
Who did Obama pardon?
President Barack Obama granted 212 pardons and 1,715 commutations during his two terms in office, largely focusing on non-violent drug offenders serving lengthy sentences. The majority of his pardons were granted to everyday citizens, but he also issued a few high-profile pardons and sentence commutations.
How popular was Obama as president?
Barack Obama was a polarizing but generally well-regarded president, leaving office with a 59% approval rating. Across his two terms, his approval averaged around 48%. He remains highly popular today, frequently polling as the most well-liked among all living former presidents.
Did Bill Clinton pardon his brother?
Yes, former President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr., on January 20, 2001, just hours before leaving office.
Can anybody override a presidential pardon?
No individual, court, or subsequent president can overturn or revoke a valid, fully delivered presidential pardon. The clemency power is an absolute authority granted by Article II of the U.S. Constitution and is generally not subject to review or interference by the judiciary, Congress, or other government branches.
What crimes cannot be pardoned?
Under the U.S. Constitution, a president cannot pardon offenses in cases of impeachment, nor can they pardon state-level crimes. Presidential pardon power is restricted solely to federal offenses. Additionally, a president cannot issue pardons for future, uncommitted crimes and cannot pardon convictions from state or local jurisdictions.
Do you have to be found guilty to be pardoned?
No, you do not have to be guilty—or even convicted—to be pardoned, though a pardon is legally interpreted as an act of forgiveness for a crime rather than a declaration of innocence. A pardon can be issued at any time after a crime is committed, including before any charges or convictions occur.
Which president never pardoned?
Yes, two U.S. presidents—William Henry Harrison and James A. Garfield—never granted a pardon or commutation during their time in office. Both died in office shortly after their inaugurations and did not serve long enough to issue any executive clemency.
Can a judge overrule a presidential pardon?
A presidential pardon—no matter how controversial—cannot be overturned. The Constitution gives the pardon power to the executive branch alone, not the legislative branch (Congress) or the judicial branch (federal courts, including the Supreme Court).
How many did Trump and Biden pardon?
Joe Biden issued over 8,000 acts of clemency during his presidency (the vast majority being commutations and mass pardons), but only granted around 80-90 individual pardons. In contrast, Donald Trump issued approximately 1,700 pardons and acts of clemency across both of his terms, which included well over 100 individual pardons alongside mass pardons.
Did Bill Clinton pardon anyone?
As president, Clinton used his power under the U.S. Constitution to grant pardons and clemency to 456 people, thus commuting the sentences of those already convicted of a crime, and obviating a trial for those not yet convicted. On January 20, 2001, he pardoned 140 people in the final hours of his presidency.
Which president gave out the most pardons?
Franklin D. Roosevelt granted the most individual pardons in U.S. history, issuing 2,819 pardons during his nearly four terms in office. Historically, presidents serving longer terms or dealing with mass clemency after national conflicts have issued the highest absolute numbers.
What does a pardon actually do?
A pardon is an act of executive clemency that forgives a criminal conviction and relieves the individual of related punishments, restoring many of the civil rights lost as a result of the crime. It does not erase or seal the legal record, nor does it inherently signify factual innocence.