President Trump has officially pardoned his former personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, alongside a large group of other key figures who faced scrutiny related to their attempts to challenge the 2020 election results. This news came when the government’s pardon attorney, Ed Martin, posted a proclamation listing dozens of individuals granted pardons “for certain offenses related to the 2020 presidential election.”
The presidential pardon only applies to federal crimes, which is a huge stumbling block since most of Trump’s allies were never actually charged in federal court. This means the pardons are largely symbolic, and they do nothing to alleviate the crushing state charges these individuals still face.
Case in point: A spokesperson for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’s office told The Hill that the pardons will have “no impact” on the state’s ongoing case. That’s a massive blow to anyone hoping this federal action would clear their slate entirely, as reported by The Hill.
Trump can’t save his people
The proclamation, which was signed on November 7, covered several high-profile individuals connected to the efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The list includes Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, and Boris Epshteyn, among others. The text of the proclamation also specifies that it “does not apply to the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.”
Martin stated that the proclamation “ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people” and continues the “process of national reconciliation.” He also noted in a subsequent post early Monday that President Trump “encouraged us” to look at cases of individuals “who had been targeted by the Biden administration,” confirming that the so-called fake electors and their affiliates were prioritized immediately.
"Dozens of allies…" I'd bet he used an autopen. The man talks and tweets. I don't see him signing dozens of papers when he can tell someone to just do it
— Freedom Lover (@CentinelTX) November 10, 2025
Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani and others who backed efforts to overturn 2020 election, official says https://t.co/WoneQt7F23
The real legal trouble for these individuals remains rooted in the states. Prosecutors in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada have filed criminal charges against many of the pardoned individuals related to the “fake electors” scheme. This scheme involved individuals signing documents that falsely claimed President Trump had won their respective state’s 2020 presidential race.
While the pardons don’t help, the state prosecutions are certainly facing major hurdles. In Georgia, where President Trump was also charged alongside his allies, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s office was disqualified from prosecuting the case. Its fate now rests with the state’s Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, which must choose a new prosecutor or potentially allow the case to be dismissed by Friday.
Attorneys general in Arizona and Michigan are weighing whether to appeal recent rulings that could bring their cases to an end. Meanwhile, Nevada’s attorney general is fighting an appeal in one county while moving forward with the case in another as a precaution. Wisconsin is moving ahead, though, with a Wisconsin DOJ spokesperson confirming the state’s criminal case “remains ongoing.”
Even before these pardons were issued, many of Trump’s allies had already faced severe consequences unrelated to criminal convictions. Giuliani, who promoted baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud, was disbarred from practicing law in both New York and the District of Columbia. He was also forced to turn over most of his assets to two election workers he defamed, among other things.
The White House is clearly framing these pardons as a necessary corrective action. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to The Hill that these “great Americans were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden Administration for challenging an election.” She continued by stressing that getting prosecuted for challenging results “is something that happens in communist Venezuela, not the United States of America, and President Trump is putting an end to the Biden Regime’s communist tactics once and for all.”
Martin confirmed the administration isn’t done yet, noting that there are “many more Americans who Biden targeted,” and they’re working to help them. But for those facing state charges right now, that federal pardon certificate is likely just a piece of paper, offering no real protection from state courts.
