Book contents
- Pardons
- Pardons
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures and Table
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Pardons and Kingship in Britain, 1066–1788
- 2 Pardons in the British North American Colonies, 1607–1775
- 3 Pardons in America in the Revolutionary Period, 1775–1787
- 4 The Founders’ Pardon Power
- 5 Presidential Pardons from George Washington to James Buchanan, 1789–1861
- 6 Pardons and Amnesties during the Civil War
- 7 Pardons and Amnesties during Reconstruction, Part 1
- 8 Pardons and Amnesties during Reconstruction, Part 2
- 9 Pardons from the End of Reconstruction to the Eve of World War I
- 10 Pardons in the Era of the Administrative State and Global War
- 11 The Pardon Process Begins to Wither
- 12 Reagan to Obama (1981–2017)
- 13 Pardons as Tools of Political Warfare
- 14 The Pardons of Joe Biden and Trump’s Second Term
- 15 The Law of Pardons
- 16 The Law of Pardons
- 17 The Law of Pardons
- 18 Executive Discretion and the Rule of Law
- 19 The Constitution Should Be Amended to Abolish or Modify the Presidential Pardon Power
- Notes
- Index
13 - Pardons as Tools of Political Warfare
Donald Trump’s First Term
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 October 2026
Book contents
- Pardons
- Pardons
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures and Table
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Pardons and Kingship in Britain, 1066–1788
- 2 Pardons in the British North American Colonies, 1607–1775
- 3 Pardons in America in the Revolutionary Period, 1775–1787
- 4 The Founders’ Pardon Power
- 5 Presidential Pardons from George Washington to James Buchanan, 1789–1861
- 6 Pardons and Amnesties during the Civil War
- 7 Pardons and Amnesties during Reconstruction, Part 1
- 8 Pardons and Amnesties during Reconstruction, Part 2
- 9 Pardons from the End of Reconstruction to the Eve of World War I
- 10 Pardons in the Era of the Administrative State and Global War
- 11 The Pardon Process Begins to Wither
- 12 Reagan to Obama (1981–2017)
- 13 Pardons as Tools of Political Warfare
- 14 The Pardons of Joe Biden and Trump’s Second Term
- 15 The Law of Pardons
- 16 The Law of Pardons
- 17 The Law of Pardons
- 18 Executive Discretion and the Rule of Law
- 19 The Constitution Should Be Amended to Abolish or Modify the Presidential Pardon Power
- Notes
- Index
Summary
Recounts the events of Donald Trump’s first term, including the Mueller investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump’s two impeachments. The focus is on Trump’s use of the pardon power as a tool in obstructing investigation into his own wrongdoing as well as a means of protecting the corrupt politicians and white-collar criminals who supported him. Attention is also given to Trump’s transformation of the pardon application process from a formal standardized procedure into a game of connections and private access.
Keywords
Information
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- Information
- PardonsDiscretionary Mercy and the Rule of Law in Britain and America, 1066–2026, pp. 364 - 397Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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