Trump Says He Would Consider Preemptive Pardons for Administration Officials Before Leaving Office
BREAKING: Trump has said he is considering preemptively pardoning members of his administration before leaving office.
What Trump Said
President Donald Trump said in a new interview that he is considering preemptively pardoning members of his administration before the end of his second term.
"Yeah, sure I'd do that," he said in an interview with TIME magazine, which published a transcript of the conversation on Thursday.
When asked directly whether he was considering pardons for members of his administration before leaving office, Trump answered without hedging.
Preparing for a Democratic House
TIME asked Trump how he is preparing for the scenario of Republicans losing the House majority in the midterm elections.
"They'll probably go after me and I'll go after them," Trump said.
The question was framed around protecting staffers if Democrats later investigate them. Trump is the first president to consider preemptive pardons for members of his own administration while they are still carrying out government policy.
In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had repeatedly promised his top administration officials pardons before he leaves office, citing people who had heard his comments. "I'll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval," Trump said in a meeting, according to the report.
The Biden Precedent
Asked to elaborate, Trump immediately reached for the precedent set by former President Joe Biden.
"Sleepy Joe gave pardons to everybody. He gave them to Fauci," Trump said. "But you mean I'm not allowed to give them, but Sleepy Joe's allowed to give them?"
Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons during his final hours in office in January 2025, covering Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, members and staff of the House committee that investigated Jan. 6, and several members of his own family. Biden said the pardons were meant to protect public servants from politically motivated investigations.
Trump had criticized those moves at the time, but acknowledged the precedent now existed. "Well, I guess now I have precedent to do it," he said shortly after returning to office in 2025.
What This Means for the Options Market
Political headlines like this tend to inject uncertainty into markets, and uncertainty is the lifeblood of options premiums. When Washington turns volatile, implied volatility across the board can expand, rewarding premium sellers and punishing directional traders caught off guard.
Traders should watch broad market exposure here. A midterm-driven political fight, with investigations and counter-investigations on the table, is exactly the kind of slow-burn catalyst that keeps hedging demand elevated into 2027.
Stocks to watch:
- SPY - The broad market proxy. Political uncertainty historically drives put buying on SPY as portfolio insurance.
- QQQ - Tech-heavy Nasdaq exposure. Watch for volatility skew steepening if midterm polling tightens.
More political coverage and market-moving headlines are available at Unusual Whales News.
The Bottom Line
Trump has put preemptive pardons on the table, openly and on the record. With the midterms approaching and both parties bracing for a fight, this story is far from over, and markets will be pricing every twist.
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