Former first lady Jill Biden said during a recent interview that she supported then-President Joe Biden&#8217;s plan to pardon his embattled son Hunter, claiming that the Department of Justice — run by his administration — was &#8220;not fair&#8221; to the younger Biden.
Biden, doing press for her upcoming memoir titled &#8220;View from the East Wing,&#8221; joined host Rita Braver for an interview that aired on the CBS News program &#8220;Sunday Morning&#8221; — and she <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/01/us-news/jill-biden-admits-i-wanted-joe-to-pardon-hunter-claims-process-was-not-fair-to-ex-first-son/">suggested</a> that the pardon was ultimately prompted by the Democratic Party&#8217;s 2024 loss and the fear that President Donald Trump would push for additional prosecution against Hunter.
&#8220;The Justice Department changed, and the process was not fair to Hunter,&#8221; she claimed.
Hunter, 56, initially landed a sweetheart deal that only gave him probation on three separate gun charges and tax evasion to the tune of $1.4 million — but left it on the table when his attorneys demanded immunity for him for any potential violations of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-biden-plea-deal-almost-derails-after-questions-about-scope-of-deal-immunity">Foreign Agents Registration Act</a>, ostensibly because any charges in that particular ballpark could also implicate other family members like his father.
He was charged and tried in both cases by special counsel David Weiss, acting on behalf of Biden&#8217;s Justice Department. He was convicted in Delaware on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/special-counsel-david-weiss-makes-statement-after-hunter-biden-convicted-on-felony-gun-charges">gun charges</a> in June 2024 and took a plea on the tax charges in September. At the time, then-President Joe Biden and everyone in his inner circle declared that he would not pardon his son.
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But when former Vice President Kamala Harris failed to win her abbreviated White House bid, the Biden family calculus changed.
&#8220;When Trump was elected, things changed and we knew that he would target Hunter. And we just could not let our son go to jail on a charge that no one would go — I mean, no one has ever gone to jail for,&#8221; Jill insisted, adding, &#8220;I truly supported it. I wanted him to pardon Hunter at that point, and I agreed with Joe.&#8221;
President Biden issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/liar-liar-biden-pardons-hunter-after-all">sweeping pardon</a> for his son on December 1, 2024, and also pardoned several other family members at the same time.
Jill explained that he did so, &#8220;I suppose for the same reason, that he felt that they would be targeted.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-BIDEN-ARRIVAL

Jill Biden Supported Pardon Because DOJ Was ‘Not Fair’ To Hunter. It Was Joe Biden’s DOJ.

Jill Biden Supported Pardon Because DOJ Was 'Not Fair' To Hunter. It Was Joe Biden's DOJ.

Department of Justice

Hunter Biden

Jill Biden

Joe Biden

Media

Pardon

Politics

President Trump confirmed that Sean “Diddy” Combs requested a presidential pardon by sending a letter, but indicated he wasn’t planning to consider it.
This revelation was made during a New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/sean-combs-pardon.html">interview</a> with Trump published on Thursday. The Times noted that the president confirmed Combs “asked me for a pardon” and said he would not consider the request. 
During the same interview, the president said he would not consider pardoning recently captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. When asked about the possibility of a pardon for Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020, Trump reportedly said, “I haven’t been asked about it.”
There has been tremendous speculation on the topic of a Diddy pardon, as Trump had previously made it sound as though he was considering the idea. 
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-denies-rumors-of-an-imminent-pardon-for-diddy?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=White+House+Denies+Rumors+Of+An+Imminent+Pardon+For+Diddy">commented</a> on a potential pardon for Combs last May during an Oval Office press conference.
“Nobody’s asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I know they’re thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking,” the president said in response to Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy.
Trump said at the time that he hadn’t been following the case closely, but was aware of the extensive media coverage the trial was receiving.
“I haven’t seen [Diddy], I haven’t spoken to him in years,” the president added. “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up, from what I read. I don’t know — he didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some little bit nasty statements.”
Trump emphasized that any pardon decision would be based solely on the merits of the case.
“I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me,” he stated at the time.
Combs was found guilty of two prostitution charges in July and was facing up to 20 years in prison following a high-profile trial in New York. He was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Prosecutors wanted to see the rapper behind bars for at least 11 years, calling Diddy “unrepentant,” but he was sentenced to just over four years in prison in October.

Diddy

President Trump Shuts Down Rumors Of A Diddy Pardon

President Trump Says Diddy Requested Pardon In A Letter, But He Won't Do It

Celebrities

Donald Trump

Entertainment

Sean 'Diddy' Combs

A former Honduran president who was convicted of helping drug smugglers import 400 tons of cocaine into the United States walked free on Monday after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump.
Juan Orlando Hernandez, who received a 45-year sentence last year, was released from a federal prison in West Virginia after writing a letter to Trump in late October, arguing that he was the target of a political prosecution and was set up by the Biden administration. Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115629406693931908">announced</a> on Friday that he was planning on granting Hernandez &#8220;a Full and Complete Pardon.&#8221; The president said that &#8220;according to many people that I greatly respect,&#8221; Hernandez was &#8220;treated very harshly and unfairly.&#8221;
Hernandez&#8217;s wife confirmed on Tuesday morning that her husband was a free man.
&#8220;After nearly four years of pain, waiting, and difficult trials, my husband Juan Orlando Hernández RETURNED to being a free man, thanks to the presidential pardon granted by President Donald Trump,&#8221; Ana García de Hernández <a href="https://x.com/anagarciacarias/status/1995796971739656532">said</a>.
Hernandez was convicted in a U.S. court of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States in what prosecutors called a &#8220;corrupt and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy,&#8221; CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-arrests-indicts-former-honduran-president-juan-orlando-hernandez/">reported</a>. Hernandez was also accused of using money he received from drug trafficking &#8220;to enrich himself, finance his political campaigns, and commit voter fraud, including in connection with the 2013 and 2017 Honduran presidential elections.&#8221;
In his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/02/us/politics/hernandez-letter.html">letter</a> to President Trump pleading for mercy, Hernandez argued that his conviction was based on &#8220;uncorroborated statements from drug traffickers, one of whom even recorded a video exposing senior members of the Honduran radical left party, Libre, discussing bribes with traffickers, yet admitted during my rigged trial that they had no evidence to support their accusations against me.&#8221;
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
Hernandez&#8217;s letter was given to Trump by the president&#8217;s adviser and longtime ally Roger Stone hours before the president said he was going to pardon the former Honduran president, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/12/02/us/trump-ukraine-putin-news#hernandez-honduras-trump">reported</a>.
Trump&#8217;s decision to free a former Central American president who was convicted of a massive drug trafficking scheme was criticized by some on the Right and the Left, especially since Trump is currently taking out suspected Venezuelan drug runners and pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to curb drug trafficking into the United States.
&#8220;Why would we pardon this guy and then go after Maduro for running drugs into the United States? Lock up every drug runner! Don’t understand why he is being pardoned,&#8221; Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) <a href="https://x.com/SenBillCassidy/status/1995213682406760812">said</a> last week after Trump announced his plan to pardon Hernandez.
Trump <a href="https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/1995264956262949278">told</a> reporters on Sunday that &#8220;many of the people of Honduras said that it was a Biden setup.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t mean Biden, look, Biden didn&#8217;t know he was alive,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;But it was the people that surrounded the Resolute Desk, that surrounded Biden when he was there. &#8230; [Hernandez] was the president of the country, and they basically said he was a drug dealer because he was the president of the country, and they said it was a Biden administration setup, and I looked at the facts and I agreed with them.&#8221;
The U.S. investigation into Hernandez <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/31/americas/honduras-juan-orlando-hernandez-dea-intl">began</a> in 2013, and he was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/juan-orlando-hern%C3%A1ndez-former-president-honduras-indicted-drug-trafficking">indicted</a> in early 2022. The indictment charges that between 2004 and 2022, Hernandez protected drug runners who trafficked hundreds of thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States, and, in return, Hernandez and other Honduran officials received millions of dollars. Drug cartels in Honduras have long worked with cartels in countries such as Venezuela and Colombia to transport drugs into the United States, according to the Justice Department.
Trump&#8217;s pardon of Hernandez comes as Honduras is in the middle of a close presidential election, with results showing a &#8220;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dgp8mvmno">technical tie</a>&#8221; between right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura and liberal Salvador Nasralla. Trump endorsed Asfura, saying that the candidate has the &#8220;confidence&#8221; of the United States.
&#8220;If Tito Asfura wins for President of Honduras, because the United States has so much confidence in him, his Policies, and what he will do for the Great People of Honduras, we will be very supportive,&#8221; Trump wrote last week. &#8220;If he doesn’t win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad, because a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is.&#8221;

Juan Orlando Hernandez

Trump Frees Former Honduran President Convicted Of Flooding U.S. With Cocaine

Trump Frees Former Honduran President Who Was Convicted Of Flooding U.S. With Cocaine

drug trafficking

Drugs

WASHINGTON—In a stunning show of executive authority, President Donald Trump today exercised the power granted to him under Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution “to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States.”
The lucky duck was a turkey named Gobble. Unlike in previous years, those assembled in the Rose Garden on this drizzly Tuesday morning knew which bird would be spared right away: First Lady Melania Trump’s office asked Americans to choose which bird her husband would pardon, and he alone was present at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Gathered on the dais were a who’s-who of the Trump Cabinet: Vice President JD Vance with his wife, Usha, and their children; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“This is a big day, a pardon day for a very important beast,” Trump said, prompting a gobble from Gobble. “That’s a well-trained turkey. See how happy he is?”
At one point during the event, Weather Report’s 1977 jazz fusion hit “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqashW66D7o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birdland</a>” played over the Rose Garden speakers, a clever musical wink for those who caught the tune.
Trump joked that when he first saw a picture of Gobble and runner-up Waddle, he wanted to “call them Chuck and Nancy,” a reference to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump jokes that he wanted to call today&#8217;s turkeys Chuck &amp; Nancy💀😂
&#8220;I shouldn&#8217;t say this. I was going to call them Chuck and Nancy, but then I realized I wouldn&#8217;t be pardoning them. I would never pardon those two people.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/LT49QgTnJU">pic.twitter.com/LT49QgTnJU</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1993376794062545075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“But then I realized I wouldn’t pardon those two people. I would never pardon them, I don’t care what Melania would tell me.”
Schumer and Pelosi weren’t the only Democrats to draw a presidential jab at the ceremony. Touting his administration’s success in cracking down on crime in Washington and Memphis, Trump called on Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to allow them to do the same in Chicago.
“Governor Pritzker, if you’re listening, let’s get your act together,” Trump said before noting that he would not “talk about the fact that he’s a fat slob.”
“I don’t mention it,” Trump said, adding that “I’d like to lose a few pounds.”
“But I’m not gonna lose it on Thanksgiving, I’ll tell you that. Because I’m gonna have a turkey, but it’s not gonna be that one.”
Trump also joked that all of President Joe Biden’s turkey pardons were null and void because his predecessor signed them with an autopen — but that he intervened to spare last year’s turkeys, Peach and Blossom, from the slaughterhouse.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> declares last year&#8217;s presidential turkey pardons INVALID because Biden used an autopen.😂
Thankfully, he intervened and granted Peach and Blossom a valid pardon to kick off today&#8217;s ceremony. <a href="https://t.co/BaxdOaLhIZ">pic.twitter.com/BaxdOaLhIZ</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1993370734060802197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Waddle, who Trump joked was “missing in action,” also received a presidential pardon and will step up as the National Thanksgiving Turkey should Gobble be unable to discharge his duties.
“Gobble, you’re pardoned!” the president said, evoking his famous television catch phrase.
About an hour before the pardon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ushered Waddle into the briefing room to meet the White House press corps. Leavitt stood by with her son (wearing a “Mama’s Little Turkey” shirt) as an excited press pool shouted questions at Waddle.
One journalist immediately asked if Waddle had a comment on Ukraine. The turkey had no comment.
<div id="attachment_1005925" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005925" class="size-large wp-image-1005925" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2248382649-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2248382649-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2248382649-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2248382649-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2248382649.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Waddle and Karoline Leavitt’s son, Niko (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)</div>
After departing the White House grounds today, Gobble and Waddle will return to their home state of North Carolina, where they will take up residence at NC State University alongside Chocolate and Chip, the turkeys Biden pardoned in 2022.
Alex Davidson, Senior Director of Public Affairs at the National Turkey Federation, said that Gobble and Waddle will be “agricultural ambassadors for the rest of their lives.”
Davidson also gave The Daily Wire the inside scoop on how the turkeys are selected. Every year, the National Turkey Federation’s rotating chairman designates a state from which the turkeys will hail — generally the chairman’s home state. The current chair, Butterball CEO Jay Jandrain, picked North Carolina, “the second largest turkey state in the country, after Minnesota,” Davidson says.
This year’s presidential flock was raised by Travis and Amanda Pittman of Wayne County (“I like Wayne County,” Trump remarked when thanking the Pitmans, noting that he did well there in the last election).
Davidson says that presidential turkeys are selected at a young age and raised just like any other bird, though they are given early exposure to lights and music to prepare them for the hustle and bustle of the national stage.
As pardon day gets closer, the flock of around 50 birds is whittled down to two finalists. According to the National Turkey Federation, the <a href="https://www.eatturkey.org/presidentialflock/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winning turkeys</a> are those that have the best “physical appearance and temperament,” proof that looks matter, even in Washington.
Trump also touted the cost of turkey and other Thanksgiving foods. Turkey prices are down 16% from last year, according to a <a href="https://www.fb.org/news-release/cost-of-thanksgiving-dinner-declines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new report </a>from the American Farm Bureau Federation. All told, the cost of an average Thanksgiving dinner is down 5% from 2024.
It’s generally held that Abraham Lincoln performed the first turkey pardon when he spared a bird at the request of his son, Tad. But the turkey pardon really traces its roots back to 1947, when the National Turkey Federation sent a 47-pound bird to President Harry Truman, a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/11/25/nx-s1-5620579/turkey-presidential-pardon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peace offering</a> after the group sparred with the White House over postwar poultry rationing.
John F. Kennedy is said to have given the first presidential <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/other/presidential-turkey-pardons-not-long-history-you-might-think-f2D11663410" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turkey pardon</a>, remarking “we’ll just let this one grow.” But as with most good things in Washington, the pardon tradition really took shape under Ronald Reagan.
After being grilled about pardons for those involved in the Iran-Contra scandal during a 1987 press conference with Charlie the Turkey, the <a href="https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/informal-exchange-reporters-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gipper quipped</a> that, had he not been assured Charlie would head to a children’s farm, he “would have pardoned him.”
Since 1989, turkeys have been pardoned in an official White House ceremony, a tradition begun by President George H.W. Bush. Today, the pardon is just a high point in a long series of events for the turkeys, who are brought to Washington a few days early to make the rounds with the media. Gobble and Waddle reportedly did 20 interviews on Monday, before turning in for a night at the Willard InterContinental Hotel.
The hotel staff loves when the turkeys check in, Davidson says — and apparently the fowl are not that foul, as far as these things go. The National Turkey Federation prepares their swanky suite with layers of plastic and wood chips, and federation staffers clean up after the birds head up to Pennsylvania Avenue.
“We leave it like we found it,” Davidson said.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-HOLIDAY-THANKSGIVING-TURKEY-TRUMP

‘Gobble, You’re Pardoned!’ Trump Touts Success, Roasts Dems In Annual Thanksgiving Tradition

JD Vance

Melania Trump

Thanksgiving

White House

Darryl Strawberry’s life has long read like a Major League Baseball box score gone off the rails — stunning highs, crushing lows, and a late-inning redemption that feels like it was scripted for the silver screen. On one hand, there’s the young phenom who burst onto the scene in 1983, the National League Rookie of the Year, whose bat and charisma made him an eight-time All-Star and a cornerstone of the New York Mets’ power-hitting lineup. Over 17 seasons, Strawberry amassed 335 home runs, more than 1,000 RBI, and 221 stolen bases. For fans, he was the epitome of the Mets’ magic. Off the field, however, life had other plans.
Strawberry’s post-baseball years were a litany of troubles. In 1995, he pleaded guilty to a felony count of tax evasion, failing to report $350,000 in income from memorabilia, personal appearances, and autographs. Legal and financial repercussions followed. In 1998, colon cancer struck, requiring surgery and chemotherapy. By the next year, he faced more legal trouble — pleading no contest to cocaine possession and soliciting a prostitute, and enduring probation violations that included arrests on his 40th birthday. He ultimately served 11 months in the Florida state prison system and was finally released in 2003.
But there was a pivot — a spiritual turning point that would redefine the man behind the stats. Strawberry encountered Jesus Christ in 1991, but it took years for his faith to anchor him. A key figure in his journey was Tracy, a born-again Christian who had her own battles with addiction. Together, they found a shared path to sobriety and purpose. Their partnership evolved into Strawberry Ministries, a ministry dedicated to helping addicts, teens, and communities find hope through faith. He describes it simply: “This experience has deepened my faith and commitment to working for His kingdom as a true follower of Jesus Christ.”
The latest chapter arrived in a phone call from the White House. President Donald Trump personally called Strawberry to announce a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-strawberry-mets-drugs-tax-evasion-cf64f71f89461b61c1424daf7e5c2dd9">full pardon </a>for his past tax and drug offenses, citing his post-career sobriety and Christian ministry. Strawberry shared the moment on Instagram, describing the surreal conversation: sitting at home caring for his wife, half-asleep, and suddenly hearing Trump’s voice praising his baseball career and granting him a full pardon. “Overwhelmed with gratitude,” Strawberry wrote, “thanking God for setting me free from my past, helping me become a better Man, Husband and Father.”
Last year, at 62, Strawberry continued to face life’s hurdles. He <a href="https://cbn.com/news/health/baseball-star-darryl-strawberry-points-gods-amazing-grace-after-surviving-heart-attack?utm_source=chatgpt.com">suffered a heart attack,</a> yet emerged with his faith intact, praising God for another chance at life. The Mets, too, have honored him: Strawberry is one of 10 former Mets to have his number retired by the team. The others include legendary Yankees manager Casey Stengel, who became the Mets’ first manager; former manager Gil Hodges, who led the “Amazin’ Mets” to their first World Series title in 1969; Willie Mays; Tom Seaver; Jerry Koosman; Mike Piazza; Keith Hernandez; Dwight Gooden; and David Wright.
Darryl Strawberry’s story is a testament to resilience, redemption, and the transformative power of faith.

New York Mets v Los Angeles Dodgers

Trump Pardons MLB Legend Darryl Strawberry, Whose Christian Faith Turned His Life Around

Darryl Strawberry

Executive

Major League Baseball

New York Mets

U.S.

President Donald Trump issued pardons for his former attorney Rudy Giuliani and more than 70 other allies over actions they took in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, the Justice Department announced over the weekend. 
Justice Department Pardon Attorney Ed Martin posted the announcement on social media on Sunday evening, which included Trump&#8217;s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows; constitutional lawyer John Eastman, lawyer and conservative radio host Jenna Ellis, and attorney Sidney Powell. The action protects them from federal prosecution for their efforts related to Trump’s legal challenges to the 2020 election. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Breaking: President Trump pardoned the 2020 Alternative Electors.
Thank you: <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> for allowing me, as U.S. Pardon Attorney, to work with <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WhiteHouse</a>, along with <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DAGToddBlanche</a> &amp; SG John Sauer, to achieve your intent—let their healing begin. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Federalist74?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Federalist74</a> ⚖️ <a href="https://t.co/rDOtgpapCB">pic.twitter.com/rDOtgpapCB</a>
— Ed Martin (@EdMartinDOJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdMartinDOJ/status/1987777635741569239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“This proclamation ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 Presidential Election and continues the process of national reconciliation,” Trump wrote in the pardon document, which was signed on Friday.
Trump wrote that the action applies “to all United States citizens for conduct relating to the advice, creation, organization, execution, submission, support, voting, activities, participation in, or advocacy for or of any slate or proposed slate of Presidential electors, whether or not recognized by any State or State official, in connection with the 2020 Presidential Election, as well for any conduct relating to their efforts to expose voting fraud and vulnerabilities in the 2020 Presidential Election.”
Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, has been entangled in a variety of state-level suits from Arizona to Georgia over his actions and statements following the 2020 election. 
Other prominent people pardoned include Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones and former DOJ official and current Office of Management and Budget official Jeffrey Clark. The pardon notes that it does not apply to Trump. 
Clark said that he had received a call from Trump on Friday night informing him of the pardon. 
“I did nothing wrong when I questioned the 2020 election in Georgia, including by drafting an unsent privileged letter urging Georgia officials to launch their own investigations and then decide for themselves how to proceed,” Clark <a href="https://x.com/JeffClarkUS/status/1987865473459839450?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet">wrote</a> on X Monday morning. “I shouldn&#8217;t have had to battle this witch hunt for 4+ years. Trump&#8217;s group pardon applies to me and others, aiming to end the lawfare.”
Many on the list were those involved in proposals to submit an &#8220;alternate&#8221; slate of electors in states where Trump and others alleged widespread voter fraud occurred. Some of these individuals have faced prosecution in states such as Arizona and Wisconsin. 
“Thank you: [Trump] for allowing me, as U.S. Pardon Attorney, to work with [the White House], along with [Attorney General Pam Bondi], [Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche] &amp; [Solicitor General] John Sauer, to achieve your intent—let their healing begin,” Martin wrote on X early Monday morning.

US-ANNIVERSARY-ATTACK-9/11-TRUMP

Trump Pardons Rudy Giuliani, Declares End To ‘Grave National Injustice’ That Followed 2020 Election

Elections

Mark Meadows

Rudy Giuliani

Sidney Powell

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) has unleashed what may be the most scathing Republican report yet on Joe Biden’s presidency — accusing the former president’s aides of orchestrating a cover-up of his mental decline and suggesting that key executive actions, including pardons, may not even be legally valid.
In a blistering <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/comer-unleashes-biden-demands-doj-probe-autopen-use-scathing-new-report">100-page report</a>, the GOP majority on the Oversight Committee charged that Biden’s inner circle “hid the truth about the former president’s condition and fitness for office” as his cognitive faculties waned. The report claims that staffers relied on an autopen to sign documents, executive orders, and pardons without confirming that Biden himself had made or even understood the decisions.
“Faced with the cognitive decline of President Joe Biden, White House aides—at the direction of the inner circle—hid the truth,” the report declares. It concludes that any actions taken without Biden’s clear personal authorization “do not carry the force of law and should be considered void.”
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That statement represents a seismic escalation in the House GOP’s confrontation with the Biden legacy. Comer and his allies are urging the Department of Justice to conduct a “comprehensive review” of every executive action Biden signed from January 20, 2021, through January 19, 2025 — especially acts of clemency. The report pointedly suggests that if Biden lacked awareness or intent in granting those pardons, Congress or the courts could deem them invalid.
With the report’s release, Comer and House Republicans are signaling that they may go further — potentially moving to void or challenge Biden’s executive acts, particularly his controversial pardons. That could set the stage for an unprecedented legal and constitutional battle over whether a president’s diminished capacity can nullify his official decisions.
The committee’s findings paint a portrait of chaos inside the Biden White House, citing what it calls a “haphazard documentation process” surrounding the flurry of last-minute pardons — including the extraordinary clemency Biden granted to his own family members, such as his son, Hunter, his brother, James, and two sisters, Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and even members of the January 6th Committee, which included now-Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS).  
Particularly explosive are revelations that Hunter Biden, according to testimony from former Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, participated in pardon discussions involving his relatives. “Zients testified that President Biden included his son, Hunter Biden, in the decision-making process,” the report says — suggesting a conflict of interest unprecedented in presidential history.
Comer also zeroed in on Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s longtime physician, blasting him for invoking the Fifth Amendment during questioning and calling on the D.C. Board of Medicine to investigate whether O’Connor issued “false or misleading” medical reports. The committee accuses him of bowing to “political pressure” and participating in a “cover-up” of Biden’s health condition.
Comer insists the evidence points to a coordinated deception. “The American people deserve to know who was actually calling the shots in the Biden White House,” he <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/landing/the-biden-autopen-presidency/?highlight=autopen">said</a>. “It wasn’t Joe Biden.”
As Comer bluntly put it, “They propped up a man unfit to lead — and lied to the American people while doing it.”
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GOP Targets Biden’s Autopen Use – Pardons, Orders In Legal Jeopardy

autopen

House Oversight Committee

The White House has denied rumors first circulated by the entertainment outlet TMZ that President Trump was considering a presidential pardon for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was sentenced to over four years in prison earlier this month.
Speculation began on Monday when TMZ <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/20/donald-trump-diddy-commutation-soon/">reported</a> that a “high-ranking White House official&#8221; confirmed that Trump was considering commuting the 50-month sentence and &#8220;could set Diddy free as early as this week.&#8221;
“There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,” a White House official <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/diddy-donald-trump-pardon-sentence-commutation-update-10914730">confirmed</a> to multiple outlets on Tuesday. “The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.”
Despite the denial directly from the White House, a spokesperson from TMZ doubled down on the claims. “We stand by our story,” TMZ spokesperson Casey Carver told NBC News in response.
Combs was found guilty of two prostitution charges in July and was facing up to 20 years in prison following a high-profile trial in New York. He was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Prosecutors wanted to see the rapper behind bars for at least 11 years, but Combs’ lawyers petitioned for him to be released later this month. Prosecutors called Diddy “unrepentant.”
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“The defendant tries to recast decades of abuse as simply the function of mutually toxic relationships,” prosecutors wrote in a September filing. “But there is nothing mutual about a relationship where one person holds all the power and the other ends up bloodied and bruised.”
The federal investigation into Combs gained national attention earlier this year when raids on his Los Angeles and Miami properties yielded large amounts of electronic devices, reportedly containing potential evidence connected to the charges. Prosecutors alleged that Combs orchestrated a network of parties and events where women were trafficked and abused. Meanwhile, the rapper claimed that his sexual exploits were unorthodox but fully consensual.
Many critics were furious that Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-asked-about-potential-pardon-for-diddy">commented on a potential pardon</a> for Combs in May during an Oval Office press conference.
“Nobody’s asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I know they’re thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking,” the president said in response to Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy.
Trump said at the time that he hadn’t been following the case closely, but was aware of the extensive media coverage the trial was receiving.
“I haven’t seen [Diddy], I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Trump said. “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up, from what I read. I don’t know — he didn’t tell me that, but I’d read some little bit nasty statements.”
Trump emphasized that any pardon decision would be based solely on the merits of the case.
“I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact on me,” he stated.

Sean Diddy Combs

White House Denies Rumors Of An Imminent Pardon For Diddy

Crime

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said on Monday that he planned to &#8220;reissue&#8221; a criminal referral for Dr. Anthony Fauci and send it directly to President Donald Trump&#8217;s Justice Department.
Paul made the announcement via an X post after a New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/us/politics/biden-pardon-autopen-trump.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare">report</a> shed light on the number of pardons and commutations — supposedly issued by former President Joe Biden — that were signed with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admits-he-used-autopen-for-mass-criminal-pardons-says-he-didnt-review-every-case">autopen</a> at the direction of Biden&#8217;s Chief of Staff, Jeff Zients.
According to the NYT, a number of pardons — including so-called &#8220;preemptive&#8221; pardons for people like Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of Biden&#8217;s family who had not actually been charged with crimes yet — were discussed at a meeting on January 19.
<blockquote>
At the Jan. 19 meeting, which took place in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House residence, Mr. Biden kept his aides until nearly 10 p.m. to talk through such decisions, according to people familiar with the matter.
The emails show that an aide to Mr. Siskel sent a draft summary of Mr. Biden’s decisions at that meeting to an assistant to Mr. Zients, copying Mr. Siskel, at 10:03 p.m. The assistant forwarded it to Mr. Reed and Mr. Zients, asking for their approval, and then sent a final version to Ms. Feldman — copying many meeting participants and aides — at 10:28 p.m.
Three minutes later, Mr. Zients hit “reply all” and wrote, “I approve the use of the autopen for the execution of all of the following pardons.”
</blockquote>
Paul, in response to the news that Fauci&#8217;s pardon had been among those that were issued by autopen on Zients&#8217; orders, declared his intention to push ahead with a criminal referral for Fauci.
&#8220;Today I will reissue my criminal referral of Anthony Fauci to Trump DOJ!&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today I will reissue my criminal referral of Anthony Fauci to Trump DOJ! <a href="https://t.co/trIhJHAOlx">https://t.co/trIhJHAOlx</a>
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1944763596614902143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Perjury is a crime. And Fauci must be held accountable,&#8221; he added a short time later.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Perjury is a crime. And Fauci must be held accountable. <a href="https://t.co/a1IlzAm154">https://t.co/a1IlzAm154</a>
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1944788688463872287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Paul has long held that Fauci intentionally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trying-to-cover-your-a-rand-paul-charges-fauci-with-attempting-to-change-definition-of-gain-of-function-research">buried evidence</a> that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated in a lab that specialized in gain-of-function research — and worked diligently to silence any in the scientific community who dared to dispute his repeated claim that it had developed naturally. He has also repeatedly accused Fauci of lying under oath to hide his own connections to the lab and type of research in question.

Anthony Fauci and Rand Paul

Why Rand Paul Says Biden’s Autopen Puts Fauci Back In His Crosshairs

Anthony Fauci

COVID-19

Rand Paul

Former President Joe Biden did not personally review every person who was granted a pardon in mass clemency actions signed by an autopen in the final months of his term, according to a new report. 
According to a Sunday <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/us/politics/biden-pardon-autopen-trump.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by The New York Times, Biden “did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people,&#8221; but &#8220;signed off on the standards he wanted to be used to determine which convicts would qualify for a reduction in sentence.”
One of Biden’s aides stated that the Bureau of Prisons would provide the administration with new information on inmates eligible for pardons, prompting updates to the list of those scheduled for release. Staff would not run those changes by Biden, according to the aide. 

​​&#8221;Rather than ask Mr. Biden to keep signing revised versions, his staff waited and then ran the final version through the autopen, which they saw as a routine procedure, the aide said,” the Times reported. 
In his final months in office, Biden issued a series of controversial pardons and clemency actions. He<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-announces-mass-commutations-after-criticism-over-hunter-pardon"> issued</a> clemency to 1,500 people placed in home confinement during the COVID pandemic, pardons for 2,500 drug offenders, and pardons for his son, Hunter Biden, and other family members, as well as for Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the January 6 Committee. 
Biden did not personally sign any of the pardons or clemency actions he authorized in either December 2024 or January, with the exception of his son&#8217;s pardon. For all other cases, his staff used the autopen to finalize the actions.
According to the Times report, Biden made decisions “orally” during staff meetings, and then the actions were carried out by the staff secretary, Stefanie Feldman, who managed Biden’s autopen. 
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have launched investigations into Biden over the use of the autopen, arguing that some of the pardons might have been made without the president’s assent. 
Biden <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/us/politics/biden-clemency-interview.html">claimed</a> that he made each one of the clemency decisions. 
“I made every single one of those. And — including the categories, when we set this up to begin with. And so — but I understand why Trump would think that, because obviously, I guess, he doesn’t focus much. Anyway, so — yes, I made every decision,” he said. 
Last week, Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s White House physician, repeatedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-now-clear-there-was-a-conspiracy-bidens-doctor-pleads-the-fifth-as-gop-probes-cover-up">declined</a> to answer questions during a deposition before Congress about Biden’s health status and the use of the autopen. O’Connor said he would not answer questions based on his Fifth Amendment rights and the physician-patient privilege.

Former President Biden Speaks at ACRD Conference in Chicago

Biden Admits He Used Autopen For Mass Criminal Pardons, Says He Didn’t Review Every Case

Clemency

Health

As Sean “Diddy” Combs stares down serious federal charges, including allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution, rumors have been swirling about whether the disgraced music mogul could somehow secure himself a presidential pardon.
But considering the current political landscape, would a Trump pardon only make things worse?
According to CEO of Reputation Management Consultants Eric Schiffer, not even a golden ticket from President Donald Trump could erase the “radioactive” fallout from the case. No matter what happens, Combs’s reputation is forever tarnished.
“If Trump waves the pardon wand and Diddy ditches or dodges prison, his brand won&#8217;t dodge the stain,” Schiffer told The Daily Wire in an exclusive interview. “A get out of jail signature still reads like a confession in gold Sharpie, given how Trump does it.”
It’s a harsh reality, but a realistic one. For decades, Diddy cultivated the persona of hip-hop royalty. Fans saw him as an entrepreneur, a hitmaker, and an absolute party legend. But now, rap’s notorious legend has fallen far from his perch after federal agents raided his homes and the lawsuits started piling up.
There’s no amount of PR rehab that can rehabilitate Diddy’s brand image overnight… or ever.
Plus, if a pardon comes courtesy of Trump, Schiffer warns it may only deepen the cultural divide already surrounding Diddy’s legal situation.
“I think a Trump pardon turns every ‘Bad Boy’ chorus into thinking about the president,” Schiffer joked. “And that labels his playlists in a way that also stains him.”
This isn’t just a political problem; it’s a commercial one. While Schiffer acknowledges Diddy’s talent as a “master propagandist and marketer,” he believes the damage is already done when it comes to corporate America.
“This has been a master class in brand evisceration,” he said. “Despite his genius as a marketer, which is undeniable, he can only spin a redemption brand story so far. And Madison Avenue won’t buy it.”
Schiffer says even a pre-trial pardon wouldn’t clear Diddy’s name in the eyes of Hollywood or major brands.
“A pardon rewrites the Spotify bio: ‘Grammy winner, entrepreneur, presidential beneficiary.’ And not in a positive way,” he said, adding that a pre-conviction pardon wouldn’t benefit the president either.
“It risks, for Trump, alienating every law-and-order voter,” Schiffer added, calling the concept a “reputational drag” for the president that he, as a PR expert, would advise against.
The music industry is keeping mostly quiet on the whole thing. Aside from rapper 50 Cent speaking out against the idea of a pardon, most artists have kept their distance, likely on the advice of publicists who know reputational poison when they see it.
“I have many celebrity clients who I won’t let comment on this,” Schiffer revealed. “They’ve never been to a party with [Diddy], never been involved — but it’s just not something I want them associated with.”
And the label “transportation for prostitution” isn’t just a legal problem. “In ‘Endorsement Land’ and in dealmaking, it’s a nuclear label,” Schiffer said. “He’s got problems that can’t be spun away.”
Still, if there’s one thing that time has shown, it’s that even disgraced celebrities can sometimes creep back into the limelight. Schiffer mentioned O.J. Simpson as someone who found an audience in his later years. Kevin Spacey, despite ongoing allegations, is starting to emerge in public again. But those cases still don’t offer a clear playbook for Diddy as he faces the possibility of life in prison and an eternity of a tarnished personal image.
“There’s degrees of audience rebuild,” Schiffer said, “but this will continue to be emblazoned across his forehead forever. There’s a radioactivity that doesn’t leave him. It just degrades slightly over time.”
When asked how long such decay might take, Schiffer didn’t mince words: “He may need to turn into a vampire before he gets his reputation back.”
That biting comment underscores the long odds Diddy is facing. A pardon might save him from prison. But it won’t save his brand in Hollywood or with fans. At best, he might claw back some niche support. “He’ll find a path to capture some audience,” Schiffer said. “And he’ll live with that stigma for some time.”
Whether that niche is enough to fuel a full comeback remains to be seen. For now, Diddy remains what Schiffer calls “a thousand-year problem.” Even the best PR campaign can’t speed up that timeline.

“Art for Life” Gala Honoring Sean “P. Diddy” Combs Hosted by Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons

Diddy’s Brand Is So ‘Radioactive,’ Not Even a Trump Pardon Can Fix It

R&amp;B recording artist R. Kelly was taken to the hospital after experiencing symptoms of an overdose while spending time in solitary confinement, per an emergency motion for his release.
&#8220;Bureau of Prisons officials administered an amount of medication that significantly exceeded a safe dose and caused Mr. Kelly to overdose, putting his life in jeopardy,&#8221; the third supplement to the emergency motion filed by his attorney Beau Brindley says.
The document also notes how the singer &#8220;takes medication for anxiety and to help him sleep, in addition to other medications.&#8221; 
Brindley has been working to get his client released onto house arrest, claiming his life is in danger as long as he’s in prison, per <a href="https://people.com/r-kelly-overdose-hospital-prison-drugs-11756210">People</a>.
Kelly’s attorney also claimed his client required surgery that the prison was hindering him from getting.
&#8220;Mr. Kelly’s life is in jeopardy right now because the Bureau of Prisons denied him necessary surgery to clear clots from his lungs,&#8221; the supplement says. &#8220;He could die from this condition, and they are letting it happen. There is no legitimate explanation for that.&#8221;
The 55-year-old performer was found guilty on three of four counts of child pornography by a federal jury in 2022, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/r-kelly-convicted-on-multiple-charges-including-child-pornography">reported</a>. The charges carry a minimum of 10 years in prison.
Kelly was also found guilty on three of five counts of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The conviction comes after a judge convicted Kelly on all nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking in New York earlier that same year. He was already serving a 30-year sentence behind bars as a result of that trial when the second guilty verdict was handed down. 
The singer has allegedly been in solitary confinement ever since Brindley filed an emergency motion seeking a temporary furlough on June 10, the outlet noted.
Brindley is also trying to secure a presidential pardon for his client and claims to have spoken with contacts with ties to Trump. Kelly and the president have no previous relationship beyond the fact that Kelly once lived in Trump Tower.
&#8220;He is not safe in federal custody,&#8221; Brindley said. &#8220;And to keep him in prison while he is under threat like this is cruel and unusual punishment.&#8221;

R Kelly

R. Kelly Reportedly Overdoses In Prison As His Lawyer Petitions For Trump Pardon

Music

Prison

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