Trump Says He Would Preemptively Pardon Aides If Republicans Lose Midterms
U.S. President Donald Trump said he could preemptively pardon his close associates if the Democratic Party takes control of Congress in the midterm elections and launches investigations into his administration officials. Appearing on a New York Post podcast on Friday, local time, Trump answered, "If necessary, I would. Of course," when asked about the matter, and said yes when asked whether everyone who worked for him, including Cabinet members and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, would be covered. A pardon is the president's power to exempt someone from punishment, such as the execution of a sentence.
Regarding the scope of potential pardons, Trump pointed out that he had "done it for J6 as well." J6 refers to the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. On his first day back in office, he pardoned about 1,500 of them.
Trump also said, "Biden did it. (Biden) pardoned everyone." Early last year, just before Trump's inauguration, then-President Joe Biden, fearing political retaliation, preemptively pardoned former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and others, with the list extending even to family members. Trump dismissed polls predicting a Democratic victory as "rigged," arguing that the Republican Party would perform better than the polls suggest, based on the size of his supporter crowds at campaign rallies.
In the same podcast interview, released the previous day, Trump said that if Democrats win control of Congress, "Probably I would become 'Mr. Veto.'" This was interpreted as meaning he would fight Democratic legislation with his veto power. He added, "If bills keep getting vetoed for a month or two, they're just wasting their time. They'll come around and make a deal."
In the U.S. midterm elections to be held on November 3, 2026 (local time), voters will elect 35 senators, all 435 members of the House of Representatives, and governors in 36 states. Democrats have campaigned on a message of holding the administration accountable, citing the cost-of-living burden stemming from tariff disputes and a prolonged war with Iran, while Republicans have countered with warnings of a systemic crisis, arguing that Democratic control of Congress would accelerate radical leftward shifts.
Against this backdrop, Trump's remarks on preemptive pardons, combined with Democratic moves toward investigations, are expected to sharpen the political conflict heading into the election.
