President Donald Trump's last day in Office, Tuesday January 19, will go down in history as a bumper pardon day, according to reports. The President is likely to issue clemency to as many as 100 people on his last day in office, CNN reported, citing official sources. These pardons include those that mark criminal justice reform, while quite a lot will be doled out to political allies.
Three people familiar with the matter told the channel that a bulk of pardons will include white collar criminals and high-profile rappers. However, there is no indication that the pardons include himself, despite widespread speculation in recent weeks about the president likely pardoning himself to avoid future litigation.
The sources told the channel that a high-level meeting was held in the White House to discuss the last batch of the pardons. It is not clear if the president is considering pardons to members of his family and the close allies.
Donald Trump has denounced violence and called for peace and a smooth transitionWikimedia Commons
It is reported that the January 6 Capito riots 'complicated' Trump's plan to pardon himself and the family members. However, at the same time they caution that only the president knows what his final plans are. The major roadblock for a self pardon is that issuing one can be interpreted as his being guilty of something. This will substantially reduce the chances of a revival in his political fortunes.
At the same time, the close allies have asked Trump not to pardon those involved in the Capitol siege. "There are a lot of people urging the President to pardon the folks... To seek a pardon of these people would be wrong," said Senator Lindsey Graham.
Who is NOT in the Pardon List?
It is safely assumed that the name of Julian Assange is not on the final pardons list. Another name not on the list is former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. "Everything is a transaction. He likes pardons because it is unilateral. And he likes doing favors for people he thinks will owe him," a source told CNN.
