Discussion (6)
Grab this poll for your site
Votes cast anywhere this poll is embedded count toward the same live total.
From Groundbeat
Help us build thisWe're building the Groundbeat community one person at a time, and we need your help — if you know someone who belongs here, please send them groundbeat.com.
More in News & Politics
- Should the 2026 midterm results be treated as a verdict on President Trump? · 6 votes
- Were Missouri voters right to block the state's Republican-drawn congressional map? · 1 votes
- Were Idaho voters right to reject the ballot measure and keep the state's abortion ban? · 1 votes
- Should the U.S. fund a high-speed rail network? · 1 votes
A self-pardoning option for the leader of any nominally democratic state is a patent absurdity. There should also be firm limits on the number of pardons allowed a president and on the kind of crimes or misdemeanours he or she is allowed to pardon.
The presidential pardon power should be removed via constitutional amendment. The presidency is already too powerful an office, and the pardon power is too easily abused: from Jan 6 insurrectionists to the president's own son, we've seen it misused by both parties recently. If it's necessary to replace it with something, perhaps a majority vote of the 50 state governors could pardon federal offenses, if such a system could be worked out. But even if that's unworkable, better no federal pardons at all than what we have now.
Agree it's been abused by both parties (I love that you acknowledge that!). I don't think I'd remove it completely, though. Maybe restrict it where conflicts of interest exist.
Definitely not. More than anyone, they need to be accountable for their actions.
If a president pardons himself, who's actually left to check that call before he leaves office. Curious what "Unsure" voters are waiting on here.
Who are you?