Pardons are political, with modern presidents expanding their use

By: Stewart Ulrich, Sam Houston State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 15, 2025

Words: 1,064

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

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By Stewart Ulrich, Sam Houston State University

President Donald Trump is making full use of his pardon power. This year, Trump has issued roughly 1,800 pardons, or nearly six times the number he issued during the four years of his first term. Granted, about 1,500 of them involved individuals charged for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on Congress. Still, the pace of Trump’s pardons this year have been nearly unprecedented.

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