Trump’s five most controversial pardons of 2025

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President Donald Trump has used his second term to issue pardons and clemency to political allies as well as a broad range of other individuals.

On his first day back in office, Trump issued sweeping pardons for those tied to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In November, he also moved preemptively to pardon several political allies, including Rudy Giuliani, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and attorneys Sidney Powell and John Eastman, even though none were facing federal criminal charges at the time. 

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