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Inside Trump's Pardon Economy

The New Yorker’s Ruth Marcus says Trump has created a quid-pro-quo “pardon economy,” where pardons are sold for political and personal gain.
Mina Kim
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Summer Boger holds a sign that states, "Pardon all J6 hostages day one" on January 21, 2025 outside the DC Central Detention Facility in Washington, DC. On January 20th, Donald Trump pardoned around 1,500 criminal defendants who were charged in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Airdate: Friday, May 22 at 10 AM

Presidents have traditionally waited until their final months in office to give clemency, but just over a year into his second term, President Trump has issued a wave of pardons—including almost 1,600 for January 6th rioters. The New Yorker’s Ruth Marcus says Trump has created a quid-pro-quo “pardon economy,” where pardons are sold for political and personal gain. We’ll talk with Marcus and a former pardon attorney about why they think Trump is setting a dangerous precedent.

Guests:

Ruth Marcus, contributing writer, The New Yorker

Larry Kupers, former pardon attorney, U.S. Department of Justice during the Obama and Trump Administrations

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