No, Trump Can’t Pardon Himself

Laurence Tribe, Richard Painter and Norm Eisen: “President Trump thinks he can do a lot of things just because he is president. He says that the president can act as if he has no conflicts of interest. He says that he can fire the FBI director for any reason he wants (and he admitted to the most outrageous of reasons in interviews and in discussion with the Russian ambassador). In one sense, Trump is right — he can do all of these things, although there will be legal repercussions if he does. Using official powers for corrupt purposes — such as impeding or obstructing an investigation — can constitute a crime.”

“But there is one thing we know that Trump cannot do — without being a first in all of human history. He cannot pardon himself.”

Mike Allen: “Aides say the quickest way to get Trump to do something is to tell him he can’t, or argue that it’s contrary to tradition. You always have to give him an alternative, and sometimes you can persuade him.”