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Could Trump run for office if 183,215

convicted? Yes. Could he pardon

himself if elected? Maybe.
By Jesse O’Neill August 2, 2023 10:29am Updated

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Donald Trump’s political future had plenty of life left a day

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if convicted.

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charges, but there is nothing in the Constitution that
specifically bars Trump from seeking office if he were
convicted, a scenario that is not without precedent.
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Donald Trump, seen in Des Moines, Iowa, last week, could continue his campaign if convicted.
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The question of whether he could pardon himself is more complicated.

REUTERS

Could Trump pardon himself if elected?

The trickier question is whether Trump could pardon himself if he were convicted and elected.

Presidents are authorized to grant sweeping clemency for federal crimes under the Constitution, which
R.I.P. Angus Cloud: ‘Euphoria’s Fez
does not specifically address whether chief executives could use that power to pardon themselves — a Dead at 25
scenario that the nation’s founders likely never envisioned.
See All
Trump would not be able to apply a presidential pardon to a potential conviction in Manhattan, where he
faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush-money payments to two women ahead of
the 2016 election.

However, he would almost certainly try to apply his presidential powers

to any federal convictions related to his Tuesday charges or the 40 see also
felony counts he faces in connection with his hoarding of national
security documents — something he discussed with aides in the final
days of his first term.

“Whether he can do so is untested. The Supreme Court may have to

weigh in,” UCLA law professor Richard Hasen, a leading election law
expert, told CNN . Trump says he has
‘absolute right’ to
“There is not a clear-cut answer,” Paul Schiff Berman, a constitutional pardon himself
law expert at the George Washington University Law School, told NY1 .

“Most constitutional scholars believe that probably the answer is no, you can’t pardon yourself, because
pardoning is meant to be an act of grace bestowed on someone else,” added Berman, who added that
there was “nothing in the Constitution” to specifically bar the practice.

Aziz Huq, a constitutional law expert at the University of Chicago Law School, told the station there would
be a case to be made that such a pardon would be an “abuse of … power.”

“However, I don’t see any meaningful mechanism whereby limits on the pardon power could be imposed,”
Huq went on. “I don’t think that there is any practical way for someone who thinks that the pardon was
unconstitutional, for raising that concern, either in a court or some other forum.”

A woman holds a banner about Trump’s indictment in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse on Aug
2, 2023.
ZUMAPRESS.com

Protesters gather outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Getty Images

IfTrump was elected before his trial finished, he could also instruct his Justice Department to dismiss the
case, Robert Ray, a lawyer who defended Trump in his first impeachment trial, told CNN.

One thing is clear under the Constitution: If Trump was convicted of a crime before the 2024 election,
either by the feds or Manhattan prosecutors, he would be barred from voting for himself.

286 What do you think? Post a comment.

The closest parallel to the current scenario in US history came in 1974, when President Gerald Ford
pardoned his predecessor, President Richard Nixon, for any crimes he may have committed in connection
with the Watergate scandal.

Ford was pilloried for his decision at the time, but defenders of the move have claimed it helped
Americans move on from the trauma of the scandal and Nixon’s resignation.

Several of Trump’s GOP rivals — notably entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — have indicated they would
be inclined to pardon him if they won the presidency.

Filed under 2024 presidential election donald trump pardons the constitution 8/2/23

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Dr. Alchemy
2 hours ago
The Executive staff at the NY Post should be a bit more supportive of President Trump, mainly
ecause if they can get away with this, conservative news media is next. There will be no one to
up for you then. I know I won't.
Reply 24 Share
5 replies

Smo
2 hours ago
What is astonishing is the lack of respect for a former President of the United States. He was
he most transparent President in ages, he walked up to the microphones and answered
after question.
He brought us economic stability and prosperity. In foreign affairs, he was the first Preside...
See more
Reply 37 Share
7 replies

Bluto Familias
3 hours ago
If we start letting presidents pardon themselves, we will effectively be making them all above
he law and giving them the right to do whatever they want. If one can do it, they all can.. Might
well toss the lawbooks in the trash then.

Reply 37 Share
8 replies

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