WASHINGTON — President Donald J. Trump has issued pardons to several of his closest allies involved in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, including his former personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and legal adviser John Eastman.
The pardons, announced late Sunday in a proclamation signed by the U.S. Pardon Attorney, Ed Martin, also extend to former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, Trump campaign attorney Christina Bobb, and political strategist Boris Epshteyn. None of the individuals had been convicted of federal crimes, but many remain under investigation in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot and broader efforts to subvert the election outcome.
“This proclamation ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American patriots who stood for election integrity,” Mr. Martin wrote in a statement posted to social media.
The sweeping clemency drew immediate condemnation from legal experts and political opponents, who argued that the move undermines the rule of law and sets a dangerous precedent for shielding political allies from accountability.
“This is not justice — it’s a political shield,” said Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard University. “Pardoning individuals who may still face charges sends a chilling message about impunity.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, called the pardons “a brazen abuse of executive power,” while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, praised the move as “a righteous stand against the deep state.”
Social media platforms lit up with polarized reactions:
“Trump is protecting his people. That’s leadership,” tweeted @MAGAWatch.
“This is how democracy dies — not with a bang, but with a pardon,” posted @CivicPulse.
“Giuliani should be disbarred, not pardoned,” wrote one user on Reddit’s r/politics forum.
Mr. Giuliani, who led the legal charge to challenge the election results, has faced mounting legal troubles, including disbarment proceedings and multiple defamation lawsuits. Mr. Eastman and Mr. Clark have also been named in federal and state investigations related to their roles in promoting false claims of election fraud.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the pardons. Legal analysts noted that presidential pardons apply only to federal offenses, leaving open the possibility of state-level prosecutions, including in Georgia, where several of the individuals have been indicted.
Ms. Bobb and Mr. Epshteyn have not publicly responded to the clemency announcement. Mr. Giuliani, in a brief statement, said he was “grateful for the president’s unwavering support.”
As the dispute unfolds, it has become a flashpoint in America’s broader reckoning with the legacy of the 2020 election and the boundaries of presidential power.
