Trumpworld insiders are reportedly turning up at the White House to beg for preemptive pardons, fearing what could happen if Democrats seize control of Congress in the midterms.
Officials are worried that a Democratic majority in the House—rated a near-certainty in the final polls of the campaign—would have broad powers to investigate not just President Donald Trump, but the officials who serve under him, his relatives, allies, and even business associates, The Telegraph reports.
A Democratic-controlled House could issue subpoenas for documents, compel witnesses to testify, conduct depositions under oath and hold public hearings. It could also launch impeachment proceedings against Trump and members of his Cabinet.
That prospect has reportedly prompted some people in Trump’s orbit to seek protection even before the election results are known.
“People are walking in asking for pardons,” one person told The Telegraph. “The Democrats are going to have a field day.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump has already indicated he would consider granting preemptive pardons to members of his White House staff who might face prosecution before the end of his second term.
That could include Elon Musk, who previously led the administration’s controversial DOGE initiative, which eliminated around 250,000 government jobs. The world’s richest man has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into supporting Trump and other Republican candidates while securing lucrative federal contracts.
“If they do, we’ll just have to protect those people,” Trump told New York Post columnist Miranda Devine, talking about the prospect of Democratic impeachments and preemptive pardons.
“I would if I needed to, sure... I would not even think about it. I’d do it. I did it for J6,” Trump added, referring to his decision on the first day of his second term to pardon roughly 1,500 people convicted over the violent 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump said he would be following the example of Joe Biden, who used his final hours in office to pardon senior figures including Gen. Mark Milley and Dr. Anthony Fauci, members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, and several relatives, including his son Hunter.
“That’s what Biden did. He gave everybody a pardon,” Trump said.
His comments to the New York Post follow an April report in the Wall Street Journal in which White House insiders said Trump had repeatedly floated the idea of granting sweeping pardons to allies during discussions with senior aides.
“I’ll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval [Office],” the president reportedly told officials.
Karoline Leavitt, then Trump’s press secretary, dismissed the account at the time, telling the Journal its reporters “should learn to take a joke” before adding that, “The President’s pardon power is absolute.”
Democrats need to pick up four seats in both the House and Senate to overturn Republicans’ narrow majorities. They hold an approximately 9-point advantage in polls of the generic congressional ballot.
Trump and Republicans have lost ground since the president launched his war on Iran in February.
The conflict has driven fuel costs sharply higher. AAA figures put the national average price of gasoline at $4.15 a gallon, while diesel has climbed to $6.29.
The rising costs have added to public discontent, as Trump’s approval rating has fallen into the low 30s—its lowest level on record.
That dissatisfaction is weighing on Republican candidates, with the midterms increasingly viewed as a referendum on Trump’s presidency.
Even in states that have traditionally been Republican strongholds, including Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, and Kansas, GOP candidates are trailing their Democratic rivals.
A Democratic majority in the House would make it far harder for Trump to pass legislation, threatening to derail much of his remaining domestic agenda.
The White House is therefore also examining ways for the president to pursue his priorities without relying on Congress.
White House counsel Will Scharf and his team are reviewing “what Mr. Trump can legally do on his own, where he could push the limits of his authority and how to defend those decisions in court,” an official told Reuters.
Trump has also threatened to block legislation from Democrats if they take control of Congress.
“I think we’re going to do great. But if we didn’t win, I veto everything. I’ll be vetoing, vetoing,” he told the New York Post.
“I guess I’ll become Mr. Veto... And then at some point, we’ll probably make deals.”
