President Donald Trump entered the White House making headlines.
And he’s going out no different.
The President is expected to pardon nearly 100 people in one of his last acts in Washington, D.C., according to reports.
And the list is a mix of well-known celebrities and political allies.
The President is exercising his power as part of a longstanding White House tradition in which the commander-in-chief typically extends mercy to lesser known criminals serving serious time for minor offenses, according to Forbes.
The pardons aren’t without controversy, of course…
A storm of chatter has swirled around whether or not Trump will pardon himself and his family — including son-in-law Jared Kushner — though Fox News reports that both pardons are unlikely.
No president has ever attempted a self-pardon. Judges have had yet to rule on whether or not the move would be constitutional. Legal experts have reportedly been split on the scope of a sitting president’s power.
Other high profile potential pardons include:
- CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden
- Trump campaign ally Steve Bannon
- Rudy Giuliani — who’s currently under investigation for foreign business deailings
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is facing an investigation for alleged bribery
- Famed rap artist Lil Wayne who pleaded guilty to weapons charges in 2020
Also making headlines are a handful of Capitol rioters who have publicly asked Trump for a pardon.
Rank-and-file Republicans have reportedly advised the President against these pardons and so far critics don’t expect that Trump is fielding any pleas.
He is not expected to pardon WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, either.
The Horn editorial team