Pardoning himself

Did the Framers intend to give presidents an unlimited "get out of jail free" card?

President Trump.
(Image credit: Erin Schaff - Pool/Getty Images)

This is the editor's letter in the current issue of The Week magazine.

Thanks to President Trump, we have a new version of the five stages of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, and depression will now be followed by "pardoning." (Acceptance has been deleted as fake news.) The president took a brief break from trying to overturn the election results last week when he pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his backdoor conversations with the Russians. In return for his loyalty and silence, Flynn — a paid foreign agent — was blessed with a blanket, pre-emptive pardon for any federal crime he may have committed. In coming weeks, Trump will probably make it rain pre-emptive pardons on allies suspected of shady activities in his service, including Don Jr. (who may have invoked the Fifth to avoid testifying in the Russia investigation), Eric, Ivanka, and Jared Kushner. Despite failing to deliver proof of massive election fraud, Rudy Giuliani has reportedly requested one, too. Will Trump then pardon himself? Can he?

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William Falk

William Falk is editor-in-chief of The Week, and has held that role since the magazine's first issue in 2001. He has previously been a reporter, columnist, and editor at the Gannett Westchester Newspapers and at Newsday, where he was part of two reporting teams that won Pulitzer Prizes.