Overview
- An updated Washington Post analysis cited in the coverage counts at least 10 drug‑related clemencies since the start of the term, challenging the administration’s anti‑narcotics posture.
- The White House framed the full pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted and sentenced to 45 years for narcotrafficking, as the result of a supposed prosecutorial 'trap' under the previous administration.
- On Inauguration Day 2025, the president issued a sweeping pardon for all convicted or charged in the January 6 Capitol attack, including defendants accused of sedition.
- Recent clemency actions also include pardons for Ross Ulbricht and financier David Gentile, as well as an October commutation for former congressman George Santos.
- The October 23 pardon of Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao drew conflict‑of‑interest questions over Binance’s reported ties to the Trump‑family‑founded World Liberty Financial, while separate reporting described a lobbyist payment effort by businessman Joseph Shwartz that the White House denied influenced decisions.