--- title: "Trump open to pardoning administration officials before leaving office" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-open-to-pardoning-administration-officials-before-leaving-office" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-open-to-pardoning-administration-officials-before-leaving-office" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-open-to-pardoning-administration-officials-before-leaving-office.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-open-to-pardoning-administration-officials-before-leaving-office" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-01T15:45:50.648Z" source_reported: "2026-10-01T15:06:15.634Z" updated: "2026-10-01T15:45:50.648Z" trust_score: 70 critic_score: 77 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-01T16:08:44.393Z" --- # Trump open to pardoning administration officials before leaving office *Former president cites Joe Biden's pardons and potential investigations in TIME magazine interview.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 70 of 100, higher is better. Trust 70 – multiple independent outlets cite Trump’s interview and give specific figures, meeting source and figure criteria. - Craft 77 of 100, higher is better. Critic 77 – explains relevance, separates fact from comment, includes specific numbers, and is clearly written. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype 30 – headline is mildly sensational but body matches the claim without exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Donald Trump said in a TIME magazine interview that he would consider preemptively pardoning members of his administration before leaving office. - Trump cited former President Joe Biden's pardons and the possibility of investigations if Democrats regain power as reasons for considering such action. - He referred to Biden's pardons, stating 'Sleepy Joe gave pardons to everyone.' - No specific officials were named by Trump as potential recipients of these pardons. Donald Trump has indicated he would consider issuing preemptive pardons to members of his administration before the end of his term. In an interview with TIME magazine, Trump said he would be open to such pardons, citing former President Joe Biden's actions before leaving office in January 2025. Trump also mentioned concerns about potential investigations into his administration if Democrats were to regain power. When asked about pardoning officials, Trump responded, "Yeah, sure, I’d do that." He then drew a comparison to Biden's use of presidential clemency, stating, "Sleepy Joe Biden, he gave pardons to everyone." The Hindustan Times reported that Trump specifically mentioned Anthony Fauci in relation to Biden's pardons, questioning if he should also be allowed to pardon officials. Biden issued several pardons before leaving office, which Mediaite reported were granted to individuals not yet charged with crimes, as a protection against politically motivated investigations under a subsequent Trump administration. Trump has previously used his pardon powers extensively. Hindustan Times noted that after his return to office, Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 individuals connected to the January 6 Capitol attack and commuted sentences for others involved in those cases. However, the reports indicate that Trump did not name specific officials he might pardon in the TIME interview, nor did he announce a final decision on the matter. ## Disagreement on specific officials mentioned While Donald Trump did not name specific officials he might pardon, the Hindustan Times reported that he specifically mentioned Anthony Fauci in relation to Joe Biden's pardons. ABC News and other reports state that Trump did not name specific officials he might pardon or announce a final decision. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports carried this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 43% (3) - Centre: 57% (4) - Right: 0% (0) 2 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-01T16:08:44.393Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-01T16:30:31.836Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on Trump's statement that he would consider pardoning administration members. ABC News and NBC News highlighted Trump's direct answer, "Yeah, sure, I’d do that," when asked about pardoning officials. Mediaite focused on Trump's quote comparing his potential actions to Biden's, stating, 'Sleepy Joe Gave Pardons to Everybody!' All three reports mentioned Trump's reference to Biden's pardons as a point of comparison. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on Trump's openness to issuing preemptive pardons for his administration officials. Hindustan Times and News Facts Network noted Trump's statement that he would consider such pardons, linking it to Biden's actions and potential future investigations. Political Wire and Bloomberg also reported on Trump's consideration of preemptive pardons, with Bloomberg stating it offered "wide-ranging protection from prosecution." ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Thelocalreport.in](https://articles.thelocalreport.in/trump-may-pardon-administration-officials-before-leaving-office-what-did-he-say) — Trump may pardon administration officials before leaving office: What did he say? - THE LOCAL REPORT ARTICLES - [NBC News](https://nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-considering-preemptive-pardons-administration-officials-rcna600905) — Trump says he’d consider issuing pardons to administration officials before he leaves office - [Hindustan Times](https://hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/trump-may-pardon-administration-officials-before-leaving-office-what-did-he-say-101790862904859.html) — Trump may pardon administration officials before leaving office: What did he say? - [News Facts Network](https://newsfactsnetwork.com/news/trump-says-he-may-pardon-administration-officials-before-leaving-office) — Trump Says He May Pardon Administration Officials Before Leaving Office - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/10/01/trump-says-he-would-consider-pardoning-his-staff) — Trump Says He Would Consider Pardoning His Staff - [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-01/trump-says-preemptive-pardons-for-administration-are-possible) — Trump Says Preemptive Pardons for Administration Are Possible - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/4a9a3c7fad4df103) — Trump Says Preemptive Pardons for Administration Are Possible - [abc News](https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-pardoning-administration-members/story?id=136915372) — Trump says he would consider pardoning administration members - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/trump-open-to-pardoning-top-staffers-before-term-ends-sleepy-joe-gave-pardons-to-everybody) — Trump Open to Pardoning Top Staffers Before Term Ends: ‘Sleepy Joe Gave Pardons to Everybody!’ ## Questions **Did Donald Trump say he would pardon administration officials?** Yes, Donald Trump said in a TIME magazine interview that he would be open to pardoning members of his administration before leaving office. He cited former President Joe Biden's pardons and potential investigations as reasons for considering such action. **Did Donald Trump name specific officials he would pardon?** No, Donald Trump did not name specific officials he might pardon in the TIME magazine interview. The reports indicate that he did not announce a final decision on the matter, although Hindustan Times noted he mentioned Anthony Fauci in relation to Joe Biden's pardons. **What did Donald Trump say about Joe Biden's pardons?** Donald Trump referenced Joe Biden's pardons, stating 'Sleepy Joe gave pardons to everyone.' He also mentioned that Biden issued preemptive pardons before leaving office, which reports suggest were to protect individuals from potential politically motivated investigations. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-open-to-pardoning-administration-officials-before-leaving-office. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump open to pardoning administration officials before leaving office", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-open-to-pardoning-administration-officials-before-leaving-office