Whatever Trump may do before noon today, the best act of his presidency will be leaving the White House, in spite of his best and worst efforts, and heading back home. Last night, in what was among his final actions as the Worst President Ever, Trump issued his final pardons and commutations. In addition to Steve Bannon, 143 people received clemency from the outgoing president in what the WaPo called a “late night pardon blast.” According to Politico,
The last-minute clemency grant to Bannon, a right-wing firebrand and former Trump strategist facing trial on charges of swindling donors to a private group raising money for border wall construction, may prove to be the most controversial of the 73 pardons and 70 commutations Trump granted late Tuesday.
The pardon brings Bannon, who fanned the flames of the treasonous uprising earlier this month, fully back into Trump’s circle as he finally sees himself out of the White House. It is also seen as potentially pushing some GOP Senators toward a conviction vote on Trump’s impeachment.
The article details many of the pardons, which notably omitted Rudy Giuliani and included Russian spy Maria Butina’s boyfriend and Senator Tommy Tuberville, who supported Trump’s bogus election fraud claims. As reported last night, the President’s calculated (by his advisors) decision not to pardon himself or family members appears to have held, so far. But he did bring his particular Don style to the process:
Trump has shown a particular zeal for doling out executive clemencies to his political allies and those with influential cheerleaders who have the president’s ear. Trump has largely circumvented the formal Justice Department process to evaluate these cases, leading many clemency-seekers to take their pitch directly to the president.
The total number of clemencies outstrips those of Bush W (200) but is far fewer than the 1700 commutations and 212 pardons by Barack Obama, who actively sought and pardoned many long term drug convicts