Donald Trump’s handlers are mum on whether or not the president-elect plans to pardon himself at the onset of his second term.
Speaking with CNN Tuesday, top Trump adviser Jason Miller dodged the point-blank question, skirting any clear answer as to whether or not Trump plans to relieve himself of his federal charges once he’s in office.
“Is he considering—would he consider pardoning himself? Would President-elect Trump consider pardoning himself?” prompted CNN’s Kasie Hunt.
“That would never be something that I would weigh in on,” Miller said. “That would be something for the legal team to discuss. And again, President Trump did nothing wrong.”
“Has it been discussed behind the scenes?” Hunt interjected.
“That’s not something that I would have been a part of. And again, that’s not something for myself to go and comment on because President Trump didn’t do anything wrong,” Miller reiterated, before highlighting some of Trump’s recent selections to lead the nation’s criminal justice systems, including his former attorney Pam Bondi—whom he’s tapped to replace Matt Gaetz as his attorney general nominee—and Kash Patel, whom Trump has selected to front the FBI.
Miller also downplayed the sexual assault allegations against Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, ex–Fox host Pete Hegseth, whose own mother accused of “using women for his own power.”
Trump senior advisor @JasonMiller does not rule out Donald Trump considering a pardon for himself in the wake of @JoeBiden pardoning his son, Hunter.
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) December 3, 2024
"That would never be something that I would weigh in on. That'd be something for the legal team to discuss," he tells @kasie. pic.twitter.com/OBknIt9lYR
But that’s not the only criminal record that’s floating around Trumpworld’s conscience. In the same interview, Miller made note that Trump intends to take a fine-tooth comb to the cases of the January 6 rioters.
“I want to be careful here and make sure I’m being very direct with you. President Trump has said a number of times on the campaign trail that he’s going to look at each of these cases individually, full stop,” Miller said. “That’s what he said. There’s never been a declaration of some—something bigger, broader. And again, that’s for something for the Department of Justice to go deal with when President Trump takes office again, not for someone who’s a spokesperson from the campaign or transition team.”
“Because, again, the whole point here is, we have to get politics out of the justice system. Justice should apply to everybody equally,” he added.
