Trump is reportedly 'widely expected' to pardon or commute Roger Stone's sentence


President Trump recently suggested that Roger Stone's "prayer may be answered," and a new report suggests that's looking increasingly likely.
Stone, the longtime adviser to Trump who last year was convicted on seven felony counts including lying to Congress, is scheduled to report to prison next week. But CNN reports that the president is "widely expected to pardon or commute Stone's sentence."
This is despite the fact that, CNN also reports, some Trump advisers have "voiced concern in recent months about the possible political repercussions" of the move, and Trump has sometimes "seemed reluctant" to do so, even "fuming and bad-mouthing" Stone in private. Trump, however, "sees his former confidant through the lens of himself, several people close to him say, viewing an attack on Stone as an attack on him," CNN writes. Politico similarly reports that even though White House and campaign aides reportedly feel that Trump has "nothing to gain by helping" Stone, the president is expected to "at least split the difference by commuting" his sentence.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Stone has been trying to delay the start of his prison sentence, but on Thursday, the Justice Department backed a judge's decision to deny him a postponement until September. In an interview on Thursday, Trump said that Stone's "prayer" for a pardon "may be answered," and asked on Friday about the possibility of a pardon, Trump told reporters he'll "be looking at it," adding that Stone was "very unfairly treated."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Book reviews: 'Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference' and 'Is a River Alive?'
Feature A rallying cry for 'moral ambition' and the interwoven relationship between humans and rivers
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media