Trump’s second term has featured extensive use of the pardon power under Article II authority, including a blanket grant covering roughly 1,500 January 6 defendants on inauguration day 2025 and more than 200 additional individual pardons or commutations by mid-2026 for figures such as George Santos, white-collar defendants, and select allies. The Department of Justice has documented over 1,700 total clemency actions through June 2026, with recent batches tied to Clean Air Act cases and a July 2026 announcement. Reports indicate ongoing internal discussions about further grants linked to the U.S. semiquincentennial and potential end-of-year actions before the 2027 cutoff, creating a fluid environment where trader consensus reflects patterns of prioritizing politically connected or high-profile cases amid standard procedural reviews. Scheduled legislative or holiday periods through December 2026 could prompt additional announcements.