White House lawyers are reviewing whether the president could issue large-scale pardons that would cover junior staffers, according to a recent Washington Sun report. The conversations have grown as outside allies push for steps that would limit legal exposure for lower-level officials who carried out administration policies. When reporters asked Trump about the report on Saturday in Florida, he did not reject the idea.
Trump said he had not previously considered the step, but he described it as unfair for staff to face what he called the “corrupt weaponization” that occurred during the prior four years. Standing near the reporters, he singled out White House Communications Adviser Margo Martin and said he wanted to protect people in similar roles. He told her directly that she would not have to worry about being pulled into a grand jury if she became a target.
