Trump Plans to Pardon All Staffers Before Leaving Office

President Donald Trump has reportedly promised to issue mass pardons for his top administration officials and staff before he leaves office. According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal on April 10, 2026, the president has repeatedly made these promises to his top aides.

The reports indicate that these promises have been made during private meetings. According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, President Trump told staff that he would pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval. Another source informed the publication that the president stated he would pardon anyone who had come within 10 feet of the office.

White House aides have reported that the president makes these claims frequently during meetings. These comments come while President Trump is barely over a year into his second term in office.

White House Response

The White House has dismissed the reports of these promises as the president joking. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the reporting by stating that the publication should be able to recognize a joke, while simultaneously emphasizing the scope of the president’s authority.

The Wall Street Journal should learn to take a joke, however, the President’s pardon power is absolute

Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary

Context and Comparison to Previous Administrations

These developments follow previous criticisms President Trump leveled against former President Joe Biden regarding the use of pardon powers at the end of a four-year term. Before leaving office, President Biden issued pardons to several top officials and family members who were targets of Republican scrutiny, including his son, Hunter Biden and the former head of the National Institutes of Health, Anthony Fauci.

In 2025, President Trump challenged the legitimacy of the pardons issued by the Biden administration. He declared that those pardons were VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT based on the claim that they were executed using an Autopen. However, reports indicate that this accusation has had little effect on the legal legitimacy of those pardons, which remain valid.

Recent Presidential Pardons

President Trump has already utilized his pardon power for a variety of individuals. Those who have received pardons include:

• Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras and a convicted drug trafficker.
• Ross Ulbricht, a drug dealer associated with the dark web.
• Henry Cuellar, a representative from Texas and a fraudster.
• Nearly every convicted participant in the events of January 6.