President Donald Trump has announced a string of pardons this week, the latest examples of him using his clemency power to pardon people he believes have been treated unfairly by the justice system.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has issued a string of pardons while criticizing what he describes as the politicalization and weaponization of the justice system.
While his supporters see these pardons as efforts to correct unjust sentences, critics say they reflect a pattern of using presidential power to amplify Trump’s narrative of persecution and to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the justice system.
Here is a full list of people Trump has so far pardoned in his second term.
January 6 Capitol Riot Defendants
On his inauguration day, January 20, 2025, Trump granted full pardons to nearly everyone charged with offenses related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, totaling approximately 1,500 individuals.
This sweeping action included both nonviolent participants and those convicted of violent crimes against law enforcement.
Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 prominent figures from far-right groups relating to the Capitol attack.
This included Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader, who was previously sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy, and Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, whose 18-year sentence was commuted to time served.
This mass clemency was described by Trump as an effort to “end a grave national injustice” and promote “national reconciliation.”
Ross Ulbricht
On January 21, Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, an anonymous platform that facilitated the sale of illegal drugs and other illicit goods using cryptocurrency.
Ulbricht had been given a life sentence in 2015 for multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics and money laundering.
The pardon fulfilled a campaign promise Trump made at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention and was supported by libertarian and cryptocurrency communities, who viewed the sentence as an example of government overreach.
He pardoned Ulbricht in spite of his parallel calls for drug dealers to be executed in the U.S.
Andrew Zabavsky and Terence Dale Sutton, Jr.
Trump issued a “full and unconditional pardon” to Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department officers Andrew Zabavsky and Terence Sutton for their roles in the death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown.
The pair were sentenced for their involvement in the death of Hylton-Brown, who they had pursued in a high-speed chase for driving a moped without a helmet, and for covering up the incident.
Anti-Abortion Activists
Trump pardoned 23 anti-abortion activists on January 23 who had been convicted in 2023 under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for blockading a clinic entrance in Washington, D.C., abortion clinic and intimidating staff and patients.
This included Lauren Handy, the controversial activist inside whose home authorities discovered five fetuses in 2022.
Rod Blagojevich
In February, Trump granted a full pardon to former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who had been convicted in 2011 on multiple corruption charges, including attempting to sell Barack Obama‘s vacant Senate seat, and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The former Democratic governor has been a vocal Trump supporter, previously describing himself as a “Trump-ocrat.”
Trump had commuted his sentence during his first term, leading to him being released after serving eight years. The new pardon clears his criminal record.
Brian Kelsey
In March, Trump pardoned the former Republican Tennessee state Senator Brian Kelsey, who had pleaded guilty over attempting to illegally funnel money to his failed campaign for Congress in 2016.
He was only two weeks into his 21-month prison sentence when he was pardoned.
Devon Archer
In March, Trump granted a full pardon to Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, who had been convicted in 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribe in a $60 million bond scheme.
Archer became a key figure in the congressional inquiry into the Biden family businesses, testifying that former President Joe Biden‘s son had sold the “illusion of access” to his father to clients and business associates.
Trump said that Archer, who had been sentenced to one year and one day in prison, had been treated “very unfairly.”
Trevor Milton
The president pardoned Trevor Milton, the founder of electric vehicle start-up Nikola, in March, who had been sentenced to four years in prison for fraud but remained free pending an appeal.
Prosecutors said that Milton had engaged in a scheme to defraud investors, and he was convicted of two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud.
Milton and his wife were major Trump donors, having donated more than $1.8 million to his re-election campaign, according to the Federal Election Commission.
BitMEX co-founders
In March, Trump also pardoned three co-founders of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, Benjamin Delo, Arthur Hayes and Samuel Reed.
The trio had pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to implement a compliant anti-money laundering program.
Michele Fiore
In March the president issued a pardon for Michele Fiore, who had been convicted of seven counts relating to wire fraud for stealing $70,000 she had collected for a memorial to fallen police officers, and instead used for personal expenses.
She was pardoned before being sentenced.
Paul Walczak
In April, Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive convicted of misappropriating over $10 million in employment taxes for personal luxury spending.
The pardon came after lobbying efforts by his mother, Elizabeth Fago, a significant Trump donor. Trump’s decision was announced less than three weeks after Fago attended a $1 million-per-person fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Scott Jenkins
On May 26, Trump announced a pardon of Scott Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, who was convicted of accepting more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing individuals as auxiliary deputies.
Jenkins had been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in 2024. Trump criticized the prosecution as politically motivated and said Jenkins was the “victim of an overzealous” justice department under Biden.
Todd and Julie Chrisley
On May 27, Trump said he planned to pardon reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted in 2022 of several counts of fraud and tax evasion involving over $30 million.
Todd was serving a 12-year sentence, and Julie was serving seven years. Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, a vocal Trump supporter, had lobbied for their release and received the news of their pardon in a phone call from the president.
The post Full List of Donald Trump Pardons During His Second Term appeared first on Newsweek.
