Can US President Donald Trump pardon himself?

Team Udayavani, Nov 14, 2020, 12:00 PM IST

US President Donald Trump could issue a flurry of pardons during his final days in power. Trump could use his expansive pardon power to try to settle legal questions on his way out the door

The pardon power, which comes from the US Constitution, is one of the broadest available to a president. The nation’s founders saw the pardon power as a way to show mercy and serve the public good.

The President has the power to pardon individuals for nearly any crime committed in the country. He is not answerable for his pardons and does not even have to provide a reason for issuing one.

According to abc news, But the pardon power is not absolute. Crucially, a pardon only applies to federal crimes. That means pardons would not, for example, protect Trump’s associates from the criminal investigation being conducted by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, a state prosecutor.

According to Independent, The president’s pardoning powers are very broad. Mr Trump could pardon his friend and family. He would not have to wait until charges are formally brought against him to pardon himself. The president’s pardoning powers extend to actions that have not been revealed or charged.

Some legal experts have argued that a president pardoning themselves would be unconstitutional because it violates the idea that no one should act as the judge in their own case.

The report further states that rather than trying to pardon himself, Mr Trump could also resign at some point prior to leaving office, passing the authority to pardon over to Vice President Mike Pence.