The White House has directly addressed an inquiry regarding a recent Wall Street Journal report claiming that President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to issue mass pardons to his top administration officials and staff before departing office at the end of his current term in January 2029.
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According to the WSJ, President Trump has made these comments on multiple occasions, including joking in a recent meeting that he would pardon anyone who had come within 200 feet of the Oval Office—and in one instance even within 10 feet. The article also noted a separate conversation in which he reportedly mentioned hosting a news conference to announce broad pardons. These remarks have reportedly surfaced amid concerns from some aides about potential investigations by Democrats following the election, and they come as the administration has already exercised clemency powers more extensively in the current term than during Trump's first presidency.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt provided a pointed response to the inquiry: “The Wall Street Journal should learn to take a joke, however, the President’s pardon power is absolute.”
Karoline Leavitt
This exchange highlights ongoing media scrutiny of the administration's use of executive clemency, with the White House framing the reported statements as humorous while underscoring the constitutional breadth of presidential authority on pardons. No further details on specific pardon plans have been officially confirmed beyond Leavitt's statement.