Trump’s Felon Fantasy League Turns Pardons Into Power Plays
There have been millions of words written and spoken by anti-Trump journalists.
They have criticized him for significant actions like imposing tariffs, unsettling U.S. allies, and floating the idea of taking control—by force if necessary—of the Panama Canal and even Greenland. He’s also taken flak for more trivial matters, like the changing color of his hair and his misuse of the English language, which some find odd for a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Then again, maybe not so odd—he turns 79 on June 14.
But whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Socialist or Communist, there’s one aspect of the president’s behavior that most people, regardless of political affiliation, can agree on: To gain entry into the exclusive MAGA inner circle, it helps if you’re a Trump supporter—preferably wealthy, preferably white. And if you’re not white, you’d better have rich friends in high places. The other option? Lie for him, bribe him, or conveniently forget he’s a bigot. Dissenters, even longtime conservative judges appointed by Mr. Trump himself, are quickly cast aside if they deviate—especially if they rule to uphold democracy over loyalty.
In his capacity as the 45th and now 47th president of the United States (Jan. 20, 2017 – Jan. 20, 2021, and Jan. 20, 2025 – present), Donald Trump granted clemency to 237 individuals in his first term and more than 1,500 during his second term as of January 2025. All were either charged or convicted of federal crimes.
And regardless of political views, most people I know agree:
This might not be a good time to play the stock market.
This might not be a good time to vacation in Canada.
This might not be a good time to vacation in South America.
This might not be a good time to vacation in Greenland.
This might not be a good time to vacation in Panama.
This might not be a good time for Democrats to vacation in red states.
But it is a very good time to lose friends and antagonize family members by talking politics.
Yet there’s one thing we can all agree on: While Mr. Trump is in office, it’s a good time to be a criminal—especially if you participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot that resulted in the deaths of five police officers. That attack was an attempt to overturn the election of President Biden. And Mr. Trump? He seems to enjoy pardoning lawbreakers. Perhaps it’s because he is one—a convicted felon—hoping someone will eventually pardon him.
A few of the many “friends of Trump” who received pardons:
Michael Flynn – The former general and national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
Roger Stone – Convicted of lying to Congress.
Paul Manafort – Trump’s former campaign chair convicted of financial fraud.
Stephen K. Bannon – Charged with defrauding donors in a private border wall fundraiser.
But the favoritism didn’t stop with pardons. Mr. Trump also appointed at least two convicted felons to positions in his administration:
Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law, who pleaded guilty in 2004 to 16 counts including tax evasion and witness retaliation, was appointed ambassador to France—despite being disbarred.
Peter Navarro, sentenced to four months in prison for contempt of Congress, became Trump’s chief trade adviser.
On Memorial Day, Mr. Trump issued a pardon to Scott Jenkins, a Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Trump called him a “wonderful” person.
Other legal cases involving Trump-aligned officials remain unresolved, but even if convictions follow, pardons likely await—because for this president, loyalty trumps law.
Recently, Mr. Trump asked MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to pardon Pete Rose and reinstate him to Hall of Fame eligibility, despite Rose’s history of betting on games, tax evasion, and—as The Boston Herald reported—allegations of sex with a teenage girl.
On May 23, The New York Times reported that Justin Sun, a Chinese crypto billionaire sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission for inflating cryptocurrency value, attended a Trump-hosted private dinner for crypto backers at his Virginia golf club. Sun is also a major investor in World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture tied to Mr. Trump. Following Trump’s reelection, the SEC asked a judge to pause Sun’s case.
Back in his first term, Mr. Trump reportedly said cryptocurrency was “based on thin air.” Yet according to Crooks and Liars on March 8, that changed after millions in crypto donations came in. He then launched his own crypto businesses, boosting their value from the Oval Office. The piece labeled it a “shameless scheme to legalize bribery.”
On May 24, The New York Times quoted Karoline Leavitt, the president’s press secretary, as saying: “It’s absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting off the presidency.”
Call me absurd.
Members of Congress also benefited from Trump’s forgiveness. Seven Republican congressmen convicted of crimes received pardons: Chris Collins, Duncan D. Hunter, Steve Stockman, Rick Renzi, Robin Hayes, Mark Siljander, and Randall “Duke” Cunningham.
So did Rod Blagojevich, the former Democratic governor of Illinois convicted for trying to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat and other crimes. “He’s a fine man,” Trump said.
As I was finishing this column, word came that Trump had pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive convicted of tax crimes, and reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud. Julie spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Coincidence?
Trump also granted clemency to Michael G. Grimm, a former congressman from Staten Island who served time for tax fraud, and John G. Rowland, the former Connecticut governor who resigned during a federal corruption probe and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud. Both are Republicans.
But wait—there’s more. President Trump has publicly said he is considering pardoning those convicted of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. As of May 29, they remain in prison. Ed Martin, the pardon attorney at the Justice Department, said these men are “victims,” just like the Jan. 6 defendants.
Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner told Newsweek in December 2024: “Donald Trump is making America felonious again.”
There’s an old saying: “Birds of a feather flock together.” Under Trump, that should be revised: Jailbirds of a feather flock together.
For employees of PR agencies—or any business—there’s a takeaway: Break a company rule and you might get fired. But if you have powerful friends, policy violations won’t touch you.
