Episode
Inside Trump's Pardon Economy
- Podcast
- KQED's Forum
- Published
- May 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3285
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Presidents have traditionally waited until their final months in office to give clemency, but just over a year into his second term, President Trump has issued a wave of pardons—including almost 1,600 for January 6th rioters. The New Yorker’s Ruth Marcus says Trump has created a quid-pro-quo “pardon economy,” where pardons are sold for political and personal gain. We’ll talk with Marcus and a former pardon attorney about why they think Trump is setting a dangerous precedent. Guests: Ruth Marcus, contributing writer, The New Yorker Larry Kupers, former pardon attorney, U.S. Department of Justice during the Obama and Trump Administrations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices