Trump Promised to Pardon Official If He Went to Jail

During President Trump’s visit to the border at Calexico, California, where he told border agents to block asylum seekers from entering the U.S. contrary to U.S. law, Trump also told the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Kevin McAleenan, that if he were sent to jail as a result of blocking those migrants from entering the U.S., the president would grant him a pardon, CNN reports.

Two officials briefed on the exchange say Trump told McAleenan, since named the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, that he “would pardon him if he ever went to jail for denying U.S. entry to migrants,” as one of the officials paraphrased.