Trump’s Power to Pardon
President Donald Trump tweeted that “all agree the U.S. President has the complete power to pardon.” It’s true that the president has the constitutional power to issue pardons, but there are some limits to that power.
Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution says a president cannot pardon “in cases of impeachment.” It also limits the power to “offenses against the United States,” which would exclude violations of state laws.
The issue of whether a president could pardon himself remains an unresolved legal issue that is open to debate. Trump’s own attorney, Jay Sekulow, on ABC’s “This Week” that the power to pardon oneself has “never been adjudicated” and would likely be decided by the Supreme Court.
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