Trump wants to pardon 250 people for America's 250th birthday: report [View all]

Source: The Independent

Wednesday 13 May 2026 19:11 EDT


Donald Trump is considering issuing 250 presidential pardons to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America, according to a new report. The president may make the announcement on June 14, his own birthday, or on July 4, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.

Trump has already faced criticism for issuing an historic number of pardons since returning to office for his second term, despite vowing to end what he described as the “politicization” of the Justice Department during his campaign.

Many of these were handed out to individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6 insurrection. On his first day back in office last year Trump has issued pardons to over 1,500 of those involved in the storming of the Capitol.

The WSJ reports that plans for the 250 pardons this summer are still in the preliminary stages and that even some within the Trump administration have raised concerns that issuing too high a number of pardons could affect Republicans in the midterm elections.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-250-presidential-pardons-america-birthday-b2976194.html