# Does Anything Prevent Trump from Pardoning Everyone **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-prevent-trump-from-pardoning-everyone/787476 "2017-05-26T14:42:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-prevent-trump-from-pardoning-everyone/787476/21 "2017-05-26T18:40:45Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > There’s a silly bit in a 24 season where Jack’s nemesis wants presidential immunity before she kills Jack. Of course there was nothing preventing local law from locking her up had she done this even if the President could pardon future crimes. Tom Clancy went even further. He apparently believed that the President could issue blank pardons for future use; just fill in the name of the person being pardoned and the crime they committed and they were valid even if the President who issued them was no longer in office. And they covered all crimes - even ones committed in other countries. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-prevent-trump-from-pardoning-everyone/787476/22 "2017-05-26T18:45:52Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > There are no limits. > > The President’s power to issue pardons to others for crimes against the United States is absolute. > > He does not have to specify individual activities. Ford’s pardon of Nixon said simply, “Now, THEREFORE, I, GERALD R. FORD, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.” Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t this an amnesty rather than a pardon? I thought a pardon is given after somebody has been convicted of a crime and an amnesty is given before the crime is prosecuted. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-prevent-trump-from-pardoning-everyone/787476/23 "2017-05-26T20:57:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Gary T** : > > That’s if granted by the POTUS. State governors can issue pardons for state crimes. In general, yes, but every state has different rules. In some, the pardoning power is held by someone other than the governor. I don’t think that there’s any state without any executive pardon at all, but it wouldn’t surprise me too much if there were. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-prevent-trump-from-pardoning-everyone/787476/24 "2017-05-26T21:14:28Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Could you still “plead the Fifth” out of fear of state-level prosecution? As noted above, the President’s pardon only applies to Federal crimes. Good question. Does Double Jeopardy apply? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anything-prevent-trump-from-pardoning-everyone/787476.md?page=1)