The White House is studying the possibility of announcing up to 250 presidential pardons as part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States, an initiative that, if carried out, would make President Donald Trump's clemency power one of the axes of the July 4 festivities. According to a report by The Atlantic, the proposal has been named internally as "250 pardons for 250 years" and seeks to link the concept of freedom that it represents American independence with the granting of presidential pardons. However, so far the initiative has not been formally presented to the president and continues to generate divisions among his own advisors.

The proposal divides Trump's advisers

According to the aforementioned media, some collaborators consider that a measure of this type would strengthen the image of a Donald Trump willing to fully exercise his constitutional powers, while others warn that it could generate a political cost, especially among Republican legislators. White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, assured that the president takes his constitutional power to grant pardons "very seriously." that any case reaches the president's desk,” Leavitt declared.

Although the administration did not confirm the existence of a definitive list, The Wall Street Journal had already reported in May that the possibility of granting around 250 pardons was being analyzed.

Pressure grows for a presidential pardon

The possible announcement has sparked intense activity among lawyers, lobbyists and people close to Trump's circle. According to The Atlantic, numerous law firms have received an unusual increase in requests to handle clemency petitions. Among the names that, according to the report, have been mentioned in internal conversations include Malaysian businessman Jho Low, wanted for the 1MDB financial scandal; rapper Pras Michel, member of Fugees, and Nicole Daedone, founder of OneTaste, convicted of a forced labor case.

The outlet also points out that some people close to the process claim that intermediaries are offering to facilitate contacts with the White House in exchange for sums ranging between $1 million and $2 million, although the administration rejected any suggestion of influence peddling. Meanwhile, the final decision remains in the hands of the president. If the proposal succeeds, it would mark one of the largest presidential pardon packages in recent history and make the US's 250th anniversary a key moment for the Trump administration's clemency policy.