White House weighs '250 pardons for 250 years' in new wave of clemency to mark America's birthday: report

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Tuesday 30 June 2026 15:12 EDT


Some White House officials are discussing the possibility of President Donald Trump marking America’s 250th birthday with a sweeping round of pardons — a proposal dubbed “250 pardons for 250 years,” according to a new report.

The mass clemency effort could be announced around the Fourth of July, more than a dozen sources familiar with the discussions told The Atlantic.

Advisers to the president are divided. Some believe the move could bolster an image he has long sought to project: “Trump the merciful.” Others worry it could further drag down the president’s already historically low approval ratings. Still, the idea has not yet been presented to Trump and may never reach him, a White House official told the outlet.

The president has already drawn scrutiny for his acts of clemency, a power granted to him by the Constitution. Since returning to office, he’s issued a historic wave of pardons for white-collar criminals and political allies, including nearly 1,600 January 6 defendants.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/250-pardons-white-house-trump-b3006083.html

[Whip-poor-will]

1. the rapists

There are only 250 child rapists in the epstein rape club , I would have guessed there would have been many more.from the stories.

[dweller]

2. @ 6 million a pop

that’s some serious mercy







✌🏻

[dave99]

17. Too low

[Ocelot II]

3. He should be able to earn the $5M he owes E. Jean Carroll selling just a few of those.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. I shudder to think of who he might pardon.

A posthumous pardon of Charles Manson?

[Ocelot II]

5. A posthumous pardon of Bernie Madoff - he's more on brand.

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. True.

And the Enron guy, whose name escapes me. Or has he been pardoned already?

[Ocelot II]

9. Ken Lay. He had a heart attack just before he was about to be sentenced.

He hasn't been posthumously pardoned yet but the problem with pardoning dead people is that they can't pay for their pardons.

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. Thanks, I'd forgotten that he never was sentenced.

Perhaps his heirs would fork up the cash?

[Bengus81]

25. I never saw the body,did anyone else?

[Ocelot II]

28. Why *would* you have seen the body?

It's not like when someone dies their body is normally displayed to the public. I didn't see Ken Lay's body either, nor did I see the dead bodies of anyone else other than a few close relatives. I know there were a few conspiracy theories to the effect that he (like Elvis) faked his death and is hiding out somewhere, but it's pretty safe to conclude he's really dead.

[dweller]

10. Ken Lay

Don’t think he’s been pardoned by the Pisswig
Yet


✌🏻

[greatauntoftriplets]

14. That's the guy.

Thanks.

[efhmc]

11. There were several. Do you mean "the smartest guy" in the room? Skilling?

[greatauntoftriplets]

15. I was looking for Ken Lay, but Skilling could be another candidate.

Non-criminals need not apply. What a country.

[efhmc]

16. He actually spent 12 years in Federal Prison and now lives "a private life" in Houston. Try to start a business but it

did not work. Had lots of H people that were harmed by this at the time. It was sad since many of them lost everything.

[Walleye]

27. Jeffrey Skilling?

[Bengus81]

24. Or a Medal of Freedom for Charlie and his leadership qualities

[efhmc]

7. We all know he will be making a profit off of this as he does everything.

[Leghorn21]

8. Fantastic, Miles Guo just caught a 30 year sentence!!

Great timing there, White House officials!!


https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/miles-guo-sentenced-30-years-prison-leading-billion-dollar-fraud

[Mark.b2]

12. Seedy pardons usually don't come until the end of a President's term....

These will probably be the 89-year-old bank robber or the drug kingpin grandmother who earned a PhD in social work while I jail.

[JT45242]

18. Sounds like 250 million in bribes to me...

Wait those would be tips. At least according to the sinister six

[Hugin]

32. Trump the Transactional...

The only pardons issued will somehow personally benefit Trump.

[Bristlecone]

19. Mad King Don

This country is flat out f’ed with these clowns in office.

[LudwigPastorius]

20. Hoping that the Ghislaine Maxwell pardon will go unnoticed among all those other ones, eh Trump?

But, it's the only way you're going to keep her quiet about your crimes.

[travelingthrulife]

23. I suspect she will have an 'accident' when she is released.

[Jack Valentino]

21. 250 won't be quite enough--- there are more Republicans in Congress than that!!

[travelingthrulife]

22. More of his fellow criminals being let out of jail.

[Blues Heron]

26. Among the 250 - Ghislaine

He's going to let her out, this is cover

[DrFunkenstein]

29. More Like "Trump The Venal"

William "Boss" Tweed and his associates embezzled an estimated $200 million in public funds through rigged contracts, padded bills, and bribery.

Sound familiar?

[Bengus81]

30. Bankman-Fried WILL get a pardon in due time from Trump

No question that Trump is in total envy by how Bankman so easily STOLE $8 BILLION in deposits people had in his phony ass "exchange".

He will be released by Trump from his 25 year sentence that as of March 2026 he's done only two years.

[Hugin]

31. These pardons won't be free...

Each of them will be accompanied by a satchel of cash kicked under the table. That this open graft is rarely acknowledged is an embarrassment for us all.

[republianmushroom]

33. and trumps wealth increases by 250 million dollars.

[PSPS]

34. He'd pardon Warren Jeffs if he could, but he can't. Jeffs' convictions are all for state (Texas) crimes.

[madinmaryland]

35. Paxton can probably get him released for the right price. Grifters will grift.

[Bengus81]

37. So he gets Abbott to do it for him, just like in Colorado

[pecosbob]

36. Not the Onion? This would be a effing national disgrace.