Trump’s interview with Time on Thursday revealed a sweeping pledge to pre‑emptively pardon officials who might face probes after he leaves office. He framed the offer as a safeguard against the kind of legal onslaught Democrats could launch once they regain the House.
Biden’s own final‑hour clemency cases set the precedent. In December, he released pardons for former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and several staffers from the House committee that investigated the January 6 riot, along with a sweeping release for his son Hunter.
Trump’s own use of the pardon power has been prolific. On his first day back in January 2025, he granted clemency to roughly 1,500 people connected to the Capitol riot. Since then, a Justice Department record shows about 170 additional pardons and commutations, a figure that underscores his willingness to use the executive cleaver.
The specter of a Democratic majority in the 2026 midterms heightens the stakes. House leadership has already scheduled a vote on a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the chamber can hold officials in contempt, though it cannot bring criminal charges.
Trump’s threat to retaliate signals a tit‑for‑tat dynamic that could see the House push a formal impeachment motion against Hegseth in July, while he vows to shield his allies from any ensuing investigations.