President Trump is considering pardoning himself during his final days in office, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Trump has reportedly toyed with the idea for some time now, but discussions apparently started anew shortly before the president was recorded pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough ballots to somehow swing the state's election in his favor. The talks also came before Trump encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol on Wednesday, where hundreds broke into the building in an attempt to block Congress from certifying the presidential election results. "Trump allies believe that both episodes increased Mr. Trump's criminal exposure," writes the Times.
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.
White House counsel Pat Cipollone told Trump he could face legal exposure for telling his supporters to "fight" the election certification at the Capitol, reports the Times. The riot that followed left four people dead.
In addition to pardoning himself, Trump is also reportedly considering preemptive pardons for his eldest children and son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as attorney Rudy Giuliani.
The Times writes Trump has "become increasingly convinced that his perceived enemies will use the levers of law enforcement to target him after he leaves office." Read more at The New York Times.
-
Why ‘anti-Islam’ bikers are guarding Gaza aid sitesIn The Spotlight Members of Infidels MC, who regard themselves as modern Crusaders, among private security guards at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites
-
China: Xi seeks to fill America’s voidFeature Trump’s tariffs are pushing nations eastward as Xi Jinping focuses on strengthening ties with global leaders
-
Rebrands: Bringing back the War DepartmentFeature Trump revives the Department of Defense’s former name
-
Russia slams Kyiv, hits government buildingSpeed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to USSpeed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU officesSpeed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping missionSpeed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peaceSpeed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest warSpeed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
