Trump’s Second-Term Pardon Spree Hits 1,609—Far Beyond Biden’s Record
Former US President Donald Trump has issued a surge of pardons and clemencies during his second term in office. The total now stands at roughly 1,609—nearly 21 times more than President Joe Biden’s record and far exceeding his own first-term figures. This wave of clemency has included controversial figures, political allies, and even repeat beneficiaries like Adriana Camberos, who received two first watch in three years.
Trump’s second-term pardons have drawn particular attention for their scale and scope. In his first term, he granted 148 acts of clemency, but this time, the number has ballooned to 1,609. Excluding trump, the figure still remains 100 times higher than at the same point in his initial presidency.
Among the most high-profile recipients was former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, whose pardon sparked bipartisan backlash. Trump also cleared former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez and two associates convicted of campaign finance violations. Other notable names included disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and baseball star Darryl Strawberry. Adriana Camberos stands out as the only person pardoned twice by Trump. Her first clemency came in 2021, while the second, granted in 2024, followed a conviction for a large-scale fraud scheme involving wholesale groceries. The reasons behind her rare double pardon remain unclear, as official sources have not provided detailed explanations. In February, Trump appointed Alice Marie Johnson as the White House’s first-ever ‘pardon czar,’ a role designed to oversee clemency decisions. His approach has extended beyond traditional cases, covering tech and cryptocurrency figures, political donors, and allies—reflecting a broader, more aggressive use of executive power.
The sheer volume of Trump’s pardons marks a sharp departure from past administrations. With 1,609 clemencies issued in his second term alone, the move has reshaped expectations around presidential pardon authority. The long-term effects of these decisions—particularly for repeat beneficiaries and politically charged cases—will likely remain a subject of legal and public debate.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
