Trump has exercised broad pardon authority early in his second term, issuing clemency to roughly 1,500 January 6 defendants on inauguration day in 2025 and later extending protections to participants in the 2020 fake electors effort, including figures such as Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows. Additional grants have targeted political allies, donors, white-collar offenders, and select others through direct White House channels rather than the traditional Department of Justice process. As of October 2026, Trump has publicly signaled openness to preemptive pardons for administration officials before leaving office, citing precedent from the prior administration, while reports indicate ongoing consideration of a symbolic package of around 250 grants tied to the U.S. semiquincentennial. Lobbying by connected individuals and uncertainty over final selections continue to shape expectations for additional actions before 2027.