President Donald Trump is weighing an ambitious new wave of clemency that could see as many as 250 pardons issued either on his own birthday — Flag Day, June 14 — or as part of the nation’s July 4 celebration marking America’s 250th birthday, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.
The proposal, still in what administration officials describe as “preliminary discussions,” would dramatically expand Trump’s already aggressive use of presidential pardon powers during his second term and further cement clemency as one of the defining features of his presidency.
According to the report, White House officials are debating whether the pardons should coincide with Trump’s birthday celebration on June 14 — which also falls on Flag Day — or whether they should instead be tied directly to the nation’s semiquincentennial festivities on the Fourth of July.
Some aides inside the White House are reportedly uneasy about the timing, warning that another major round of pardons ahead of the midterm elections could create political headaches for Republicans. Still, administration officials stressed that no final decision has been made and that Trump remains the ultimate authority on clemency matters.
The possible move would fit neatly into Trump’s broader effort to put his personal stamp on America’s 250th birthday celebration. Since returning to office, Trump has championed a series of patriotic projects tied to the anniversary, including plans for a “National Garden of American Heroes” featuring 250 statues of iconic Americans such as George Washington, Ronald Reagan, and Jackie Robinson. He has also promoted “Patriot Games” athletic competitions for high school students and ordered renovations around national monuments in Washington.
Historically, rulers and political leaders often used “jubilee” celebrations to grant mercy or forgiveness, a tradition Trump allies have increasingly referenced as justification for a broader use of presidential clemency powers.
One of the administration officials helping oversee the current pardon operation is Trump-appointed pardon attorney Ed Martin, who earlier this year argued that pardons are an “essential” part of justice and pointed to historical examples of kings and popes granting mass clemency during anniversary celebrations.
Trump’s second term has already featured some of the most controversial and sweeping pardons in modern presidential history.
Most notably, Trump issued a broad pardon for many supporters charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot, a move that sparked outrage from Democrats and some Republicans alike. Critics accused Trump of rewarding political allies, while supporters argued he was correcting what they viewed as politically motivated prosecutions.
Trump has also pardoned several high-profile figures tied to the cryptocurrency world and corporate fraud cases. Those granted clemency include former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, whose case became a rallying point for libertarian activists and parts of the crypto community.
In another controversial case, Trump pardoned former Nikola executive Trevor Milton after Milton was convicted of defrauding investors.
The administration’s willingness to entertain high-profile pardon requests has also fueled a surge in clemency applications nationwide. The Journal reported that more than 16,000 pardon requests were filed last year — the highest number recorded since at least 1937.
Among those publicly seeking relief from Trump is disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, though Trump has publicly mocked the idea of pardoning him.
There has also been speculation surrounding imprisoned Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell after her legal team floated the possibility of cooperation in exchange for clemency. So far, however, there is no indication Trump is considering such a move. Earlier releases tied to the Epstein investigation showed Trump praising Florida investigators for pursuing Jeffrey Epstein and describing Maxwell as “evil.”
The looming possibility of another massive clemency push also revives comparisons to former President Joe Biden, who faced bipartisan criticism after commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 federal inmates during the final stretch of his presidency. Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, and his commutation of dozens of federal death row inmates generated particularly fierce backlash.
Trump allies argue that Biden normalized expansive uses of executive clemency, opening the door for Trump to exercise the same authority even more aggressively during his second term.
For now, administration officials say discussions remain fluid. But if Trump ultimately moves forward, the pardons would likely become one of the most politically explosive moments of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration — while simultaneously reinforcing Trump’s longstanding view that the presidency’s pardon power should be used far more aggressively than previous administrations were willing to do.
Hunter Biden Admits His ‘Bias’ Towards Pardons, Says Founders ‘Didn’t Imagine Trump’
Hunter Biden is openly acknowledging what critics have argued for months: when it comes to his father’s sweeping pardon, he is anything but objective.
“I’m completely biased as it relates to what my dad did for me. I fully understand how uniquely situated I am in being privileged enough to have received a pardon from my father,” Hunter said in an interview published by liberal outlet MediasTouch.
The admission revives scrutiny over former President Joe Biden’s dramatic reversal on the issue. After repeatedly insisting he would not grant clemency to his son, Biden ultimately issued a sweeping pardon—undercutting Democrats’ long-standing “no one is above the law” message as Hunter faced serious federal charges.
Despite conceding his own bias, Hunter declined to weigh in on potential reforms to the presidential pardon system. Instead, he pivoted to attacking former President Donald Trump’s use of the same authority, pointing to the more than 1,000 individuals pardoned in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol protest.
Hunter Biden was granted an unusually broad pardon covering any offense he “has committed or may have committed” between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024—a scope that drew bipartisan criticism.
The legal backdrop is significant. In September 2024, Hunter pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges tied to a scheme that evaded more than $1.4 million in taxes. Months earlier, he was convicted in Delaware for lying about his drug use on a federal firearm purchase form.
Still, Hunter sought to shift the focus toward Trump and his family, saying, “I don’t think that the founders ever imagined Donald Trump. I don’t think they ever imagined the Trump family.”
He also attempted to contrast pardon totals: “I don’t think people understand is that, in the first year, I think—I don’t know the exact number—I think my dad gave 80 or so pardons over a four-year period of time. I think that that’s about the number.”
Trump, notably, did not pardon any of his children during his presidency, though he did grant clemency in 2020 to Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law.
The White House defended Trump’s record, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson saying he has used his authority to pardon individuals who were victims of what she described as a “weaponized justice system.”
Jackson also criticized Biden’s final actions in office, arguing that “the only pardons anyone should be critical of are from President Autopen,” citing clemency for violent offenders and “proactive pardons he ‘signed’ for his family members like Hunter on his way out the door.”
In addition to Hunter, Biden issued pardons to several relatives, including his brother James, sister-in-law Sara, sister Valerie, and brother Francis—moves he framed as necessary protection against political retaliation.
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