How do Donald Trump’s pardons compare with other US presidents?

President Donald Trump began his 2nd word by issuing “full, implicit and unconditional” pardons to astir 1,500 individuals progressive successful the January 6, 2021, onslaught connected the United States Capitol.

He besides commuted the sentences of 14 Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members who were convicted oregon charged with seditious conspiracy related to the violence.

The adjacent day, Trump announced helium had pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the laminitis of Silk Road, a acheronian web marketplace, who was jailed successful transportation with the merchantability of amerciable drugs connected the platform.

So however bash presidents comparison successful the fig of clemencies they person granted? Al Jazeera visualises statesmanlike pardons successful modern history, including immoderate of the astir controversial:

President Donald Trump signs enforcement orders and pardons for January 6 defendants successful the Oval Office astatine the White House connected Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025 [Carlos Barria//Reuters]

What is simply a statesmanlike pardon?

Article II of the US Constitution grants a sitting president the powerfulness to forgive individuals for national crimes, releasing them from further punishment oregon different ineligible consequences. However, it does not use to impeachments.

Pardons are imperishable erstwhile issued. A president cannot overturn oregon revoke a pardon that has been issued by a erstwhile president.

A pardon whitethorn beryllium issued earlier ceremonial charges and aft convictions. However, it cannot use to aboriginal crimes that idiosyncratic has not yet committed.

There are antithetic acts of clemency, specified as:

• Pardons – granting afloat clemency for a conviction
• Commutations – reducing a condemnation to a lesser one
• Reprieves – delaying punishment
• Remissions – reducing the effect of a condemnation without changing its nature
• Amnesties – granting a pardon to screen an full radical of individuals

Which president has granted the astir pardons?

The archetypal statesmanlike pardon was issued by George Washington successful 1795 to leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, a convulsive taxation protest.

In much modern history, 14 US presidents since 1945 person unneurotic issued much than 9,000 statesmanlike pardons and 6,500 commutations.

In this 80-year period, Harry Truman, who served arsenic president from 1945 to 1953, issued the astir pardons – 1,913 – followed by Trump, who has issued astatine slightest 1,644 successful some his presumption truthful far. Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961) issued the 3rd astir pardons astatine 1,110.

Joe Biden issued the highest fig of commutations astatine 4,169, followed by Barack Obama astatine 1,715. Other presidents since 1945 way acold down Obama and Biden with Lyndon Johnson issuing the 3rd astir during his 1963-69 word erstwhile helium approved 226 commutations.

Trump compared with Biden

In his 4 years successful bureau (2021-2025), Biden granted astatine slightest 80 pardons and 4,169 commutations. In comparison, Trump granted 144 pardons and 94 commutations during his archetypal word (2017-2021).

While Trump’s 2nd word is conscionable a fewer days old, helium has already made a sweeping 1,500 pardons and much than a twelve commutations.

Trump has pardoned radical who person had idiosyncratic oregon governmental connections to him, including his supporters. In his archetypal term, this included individuals implicated successful the Robert Mueller peculiar counsel investigation, which examined Russian interference successful the 2016 US election, ties betwixt Trump associates and Russian officials, and imaginable obstruction of justness by Trump and his associates.

Those convicted included Paul Manafort, Trump’s run chairman; Michael Flynn, his erstwhile nationalist information adviser; Roger Stone, governmental adviser; and George Papadopoulos, run adviser.

Former Trump run president Paul Manafort, centre, is escorted into tribunal for his arraignment successful New York Supreme Court successful New York City [File: Lucas Jackson/Reuters]

Trump granted pardons and commutations to respective of those implicated. Papadopoulos was pardoned successful 2018 and Flynn successful November 2020. Stone’s condemnation was commuted successful July 2020, and helium granted a afloat pardon successful December 2020 on with Manafort.

In his last hours successful bureau successful 2021, Trump pardoned Steve Bannon, who was charged with fraud related to a fundraising run for Trump’s US-Mexico borderline wall.

Trump has besides granted clemency to rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black. The erstwhile was recovered blameworthy of carrying a weapon connected his backstage pitchy successful December 2019 and received a pardon. Black was sentenced to 4 years successful situation successful 2019 for making mendacious statements astir carrying a gun. His condemnation was aboriginal commuted.

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon arrives astatine the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to surrender himself to New York authorities connected September 8, 2022 [Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Photo]

Many of Biden’s pardons person been for nonviolent cause offenders, including astir 2,500 connected Friday – the astir successful a azygous day, but for Jimmy Carter. He has besides pardoned respective members of his family, saying the measures were to support them from politically motivated investigations by the Trump administration.

On his last time arsenic president, Biden pardoned Dr Anthony Fauci, the erstwhile manager of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a salient fig during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was wide criticised by governmental opponents, including Trump, for his stance connected the outbreak. Biden said Fauci’s pardon was besides meant to support him from imaginable prosecution nether the Trump administration.

Biden besides commuted the condemnation of Native American activistic Leonard Peltier, who has spent astir fractional a period down bars aft being imprisoned successful 1975 for sidesplitting 2 FBI agents.

Dr  Anthony Fauci, then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during the regular COVID-19 briefing astatine the White House connected December 1, 2021 [Susan Walsh/AP Photo]

Controversial statesmanlike pardons

Below are immoderate of the astir arguable acts of clemency granted by US presidents implicit the past 50 years:

1974: Gerald Ford pardons Richard Nixon

On September 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford pardoned erstwhile President Richard Nixon for immoderate crimes committed during his presidency, successful peculiar those related to the Watergate scandal.

Ford considered it a measurement indispensable to determination the state beyond Watergate; however, the pardon is cited arsenic a cardinal crushed wherefore Ford mislaid the 1976 election. Many felt that the pardon continued the Watergate cover-up by preventing the imaginable indictment of the erstwhile president, who had resigned earlier helium could beryllium impeached.

President Richard Nixon faced charges for a wide scope of alleged wrongdoings related to the Watergate scandal, from bribery to obstruction of justice, erstwhile President Gerald Ford pardoned him conscionable weeks aft helium resigned [File: AP Photo]

1977: Jimmy Carter pardons Vietnam War draught evaders

When Jimmy Carter was inaugurated successful 1977, helium pardoned those who had evaded the Vietnam War draught connected his archetypal time successful office, little than 2 years aft the extremity of the war.

With nationalist sentiment moving against the Vietnam War, galore young men tried to debar the draft. The pardon faced disapproval from veterans and blimpish politicians who had served successful Vietnam portion others specified arsenic the American Veterans Committee praised the bid but said it should person included deserters too.

President Jimmy Carter, who died past month, had a overmuch criticised presidency but won a Nobel Peace Prize for his post-presidential work, including arsenic a bid negotiator, predetermination monitor, illness combatant and gathering of homes for low-income families [File: AP Photo]

2017: Barack Obama commutes Chelsea Manning’s sentence 

Chelsea Manning, an service quality analyst, was convicted successful 2010 of leaking classified authorities documents to WikiLeaks, which revealed American subject and diplomatic activities crossed the world. Manning was serving a 35-year sentence, but it was commuted aft 7 years by Obama.

People clasp signs calling for the merchandise of imprisoned WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning portion marching astatine a cheery pridefulness parade successful San Francisco, California, connected June 28, 2015 [Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters]

Pardoning household members – Clinton, Trump and Biden 

On his past time successful bureau successful 2001, Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr, who had pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to administer cocaine aft being caught trying to merchantability it to an undercover constabulary serviceman successful the 1980s. Clinton’s pardon cleared Roger’s transgression record.

In 2020, Trump pardoned his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner, who was serving 2 presumption successful situation for taxation evasion.

In 2024, Biden pardoned his lad Hunter contempt antecedently saying helium wouldn’t. Hunter was facing sentencing successful 2 transgression cases. In September, helium pleaded blameworthy to taxation evasion and successful June was recovered blameworthy of amerciable cause usage and possession of a gun. He became the archetypal kid of a sitting president to beryllium convicted of a crime.

President Joe Biden, left, is accompanied by Hunter Biden, centre, and Beau Biden Jr successful downtown Nantucket, Massachusetts, connected November 29, 2024 [Craig Hudson/Reuters]