One or more family members who did not work in the administration
Zero current or former administration staffers
One to three current or former administration staffers
Four or more current or former administration staffers
Zero to three or fewer known close associates (other than those listed above)
Four or more known close associates (other than those listed above)
Three or fewer people whose association with Trump is only widely known after pardons are disclosed
Four or more people whose association with Trump is only widely known after pardons are disclosed
Some people, but no one with any meaningful ties to his family, his administration, his campaign, or his own wrongdoing
No one.
0voters
The title is the question. There will be a prize that I will make up later. The earliest respondent with the most correct answers (as judged by me) wins. There is some subjectivity in the categories but I’ll use my fairest and best judgment. Administration staffers include anyone who worked in the administration in any capacity but it doesn’t include random hangers-on like Giuliani or Chris Christie.
There is some subjectivity here about, for instance, who is “closely associated” with Trump or whether a person has meaningful ties I will be the sole judge of who fits into what categories.
The poll closes on election night but the winner won’t be picked until some new president is inaugurated, so, if he is reelected, it could take a while to determine the winner. In any event, I won’t declare a winner until at least a few weeks after inauguration day so I can read press coverage about the pardoned people.
Please feel free to discuss the particular people you think he will and won’t pardon.
There will be an endless shower of pardons - family, friends, known associates, unknown associates, members of his administration, members of the Trump Org and even one for Pence. Then he resigns and Pence pardons him.
ETA - this all presumes DJT loses. If he wins, there will be no pardons for anyone.
Thanks everyone for participating! The poll is now closed since, in theory, post-election pardons could start coming any day.
I eyeballed the polling results and it looks like nearly everyone had different thoughts on exactly who was going to get pardons. I’m looking forward to the results, for what it’s worth,
I’m almost a maximalist. He will pardon nearly everyone on the list, including himself. He isn’t going to quit the presidency in shame to get a pardon from Pence. As far as he’s concerned, he can pardon himself if he wants to because who is going to stop him? But he will pardon lots of other people and yes, he will justify it by saying that the deep state and the Dems are going to target him and them once they seize power through the fraudulent election.
Of course, if he wins, we won’t know the results for a long time.
Yeah, this is a “Might as well give it a shot” kind of play. It’s a dead certainty Biden won’t pardon him, and even if it fails, that’s no different than not even trying a self-pardon.
But if it is allowed to stand, then the self-pardon is pure profit, as far as Trump is concerned.
IANAL, but unfortunately I do not see why he can’t pardon himself. There have been a few cases where a state governor has pardoned himself for state level crimes, and a few mayors that have pardoned themselves for violations of city ordinances. I understand it’s rare, only a handful of examples exist, but legal. And I don’t know of any reason it wouldn’t extend to the presidential powers of pardon.
There are, however, numerous allegations of sexual assault that can be prosecuted at a state level. The POTUS can only pardon Federal crimes. So he can’t get himself out of those.
The first post-election pardon is in: Michael Flynn, the former National Security Advisor and thus, an administration staffer.
The New York Times (paywall) is also speculating that there will be a “wave” of pardons in the coming weeks.
I’ll be looking out for pardons in the following categories from the polls:
Trump
Ivanka Trump
Jared Kushner
Administration staffers
Known close associates (other than those listed above)
Unknown associates
Other family
Each category is worth one point. The winner is naturally the respondent with the most points. Those who picked “no one” are out of the running with busted brackets. Two responders picked “Some people, but no one with any meaningful ties to his family, his administration, his campaign, or his own wrongdoing.” This was meant to be a mutually exclusive category that precluded any other choices but both people who made this choice also picked other categories. As contest judge, i will dock those respondents one point but allow their other choices to stand.
Prize information to come soon. Good luck everyone!
Trump is reportedly considering pardons for Ivanka, Little Donnie Jr., the other one, and Kushner.
Notably there is no discussion of a possible pardon for Tiffany or Barron. Does that mean he just doesn’t care whether they are targeted by the Biden administration or there is something in his mind that is different about the older kids? Hmmm, could it be that he knows the older kids are guilty of plenty of federal crimes for which, you know, they might be prosecuted if the country were run justly?
They’re going to install a self serve pardon vending machine outside the door to the Oval Office to ensure that everyone who can afford a pardon can get one.
Yes he’ll pardon himself and his whole grifting family. Plus Ghouliani, Pompeo, probably more administration officials.