How many people has Trump pardoned?
Asked by: Rossie Ullrich | Last update: May 1, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (33 votes)
List of people granted executive clemency in the second Trump presidency. In his role as the 47th president of the United States (January 20, 2025 – present), Donald Trump granted executive clemency to more than 1,600 individuals as of July 23, 2025, all of whom were charged or convicted of federal criminal offenses.
How many people can a President legally pardon?
There are no limits to how many people the President may pardon. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example, pardoned 2,819 individuals during his time in office – more than any other President. President Barack Obama pardoned 212 individuals during his time in office.
How to get a Trump pardon?
To get a pardon from President Trump (or any President), you must file a formal petition with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney, detailing your federal conviction, demonstrating remorse, showing good conduct after your sentence (usually requiring a 5-year wait), and providing supporting documents like your presentence report, with a recommendation then going to the President, though applications for specific, recent proclamations (like Jan 6 or UCMJ) have separate, expedited processes.
Why can presidents pardon people?
In the United States, federal pardons are granted only by the president, pursuant to authority under the U.S. Constitution to grant "reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States".
Can a presidential pardoned felon own a firearm?
Only the President of the United States can grant a pardon for a federal felony, which can restore the right to own firearms. The pardon does not erase the conviction but can lift certain civil restrictions associated with it, including gun rights.
How Many People Did Trump Pardon? June 12, 2025 | Justice System Explained
How many people did Trump pardon in 2025?
List of people granted executive clemency in the second Trump presidency. In his role as the 47th president of the United States (January 20, 2025 – present), Donald Trump granted executive clemency to more than 1,600 individuals as of July 23, 2025, all of whom were charged or convicted of federal criminal offenses.
What crimes cannot be pardoned?
The President of the United States may pardon anyone who commits a federal offense against the United States. They may also pardon anyone who commits a federal offense against the District of Columbia. The president cannot grant pardons for violations of state laws.
How many pardons did Barack Obama hand out?
Of the acts of clemency, 1,715 were commutations (including 504 life sentences) and 212 were pardons. Most individuals granted executive clemency by Obama had been convicted on drug charges, and had received lengthy and sometimes mandatory sentences at the height of the war on drugs.
Did Trump pardon Rudy Giuliani?
In April 2024, he was indicted on charges related to the 2020 election in Arizona. He was later disbarred in the state of New York in July, and in the District of Columbia in September. In November 2025, Trump pardoned Giuliani.
Has Donald Trump pardoned anyone?
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.
What happens if a pardon is refused?
"A pardon is a deed, to the validity of which delivery is essential, and delivery is not complete without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered, and if it be rejected, we have discovered no power in a court to force it on him."
How many people did Bill Clinton pardon?
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.
Are you still a felon if you get a presidential pardon?
A pardon does not erase or expunge the record of conviction. It is, however, an indication of forgiveness and should lessen the stigma of conviction.
What are Obama's biggest achievements?
Barack Obama's biggest accomplishments include passing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to expand health insurance, leading the economic recovery after the 2008 crisis with stimulus and banking reforms, authorizing the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, enacting climate and clean energy policies, appointing historic Supreme Court justices, and ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the military, enabling openly gay service.
Is there a limit to pardons?
U.S. Const. art. II, § 2, cl. 1; see Garland, 71 U.S. at 373 (acknowleding that the President's authority to grant pardons is subject to the exception of cases of impeachment and that [w]ith that exception the power is unlimited ).
What is the difference between a pardon and clemency?
Clemency is the broad umbrella term for mercy from a criminal conviction, while a pardon is a specific type of clemency that forgives the offense, wiping out most legal consequences and restoring rights, whereas other clemency forms like commutation only reduce the punishment (like sentence length) without forgiving the crime, leaving the conviction on the record. Think of it this way: all pardons are clemency, but not all clemency is a pardon.
Can a President pardon themselves?
O.L.C. Supp. 370, 370 (1974) (opining during the Nixon Administration that a President may not pardon himself based on the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case ).
Which president never pardoned?
The two U.S. presidents who never granted a pardon were William Henry Harrison, due to his death just a month into office, and James A. Garfield, who was assassinated early in his term, leaving neither president enough time to issue any.
Can a pardoned felon own a firearm in the US?
A full, unconditional pardon restores all of an individual's civil rights, including the right to own a firearm. However, please be advised that an individual's juvenile, out-of-state, and/or federal criminal record may still prohibit certain civil rights from being restored.
Do you still have a record if you get pardoned?
Does a pardon erase a conviction from the record? No. A pardon To release someone from punishment for a crime they were convicted of committing forgives the conviction When someone is declared guilty of a crime by a court but does not erase it from the record.
Did Trump pardon Charles Kushner?
Yes, Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner (father of Jared Kushner) in December 2020, commuting his sentence for convictions including tax evasion, witness tampering, and illegal campaign contributions from 2005. The pardon came in the final days of Trump's presidency and covered charges related to his scheme to intimidate his brother-in-law, who was cooperating with federal investigators.
Can a President pardon a state crime?
Importantly, presidents can only offer pardons for federal crimes — a relatively small portion of the overall number of people behind bars. However, governors can issue pardons for state criminal convictions. They should learn from the steps and missteps of President Trump and use their pardon powers more frequently.