Trump Mulls Preemptive Pardons for Up to 20 Allies

“President Trump is considering preemptively pardoning as many as 20 aides and associates before leaving office, frustrating Republicans who believe offering legal reprieves to his friends and family members could backfire,” Politico reports.

“Trump’s strategy, like much of his presidency, is nontraditional. He is eschewing the typical protocol of processing cases through the Justice Department. And he may argue that such preemptive pardons for his friends and family members are necessary to spare them from paying millions in legal fees to fight what he describes as witch hunts.”

“Weighing on Trump’s mind is whether these pardons would look like an admission of guilt.”