With midterm elections reaching their conclusion, President Donald Trump has made clear he’s prepared to shield his administration officials from potential Democratic prosecutions — even if that means issuing pardons before any charges are filed.
During a conversation with the New York Post’s Miranda Devine published Monday, Trump didn’t mince words about his willingness to use executive clemency powers to protect those who have worked in his administration. The interview comes as voters head to the polls Tuesday in what many see as a referendum on the current administration’s policies.
When Devine raised concerns about Democratic threats against prominent figures like Elon Musk — mentioning talk of arrests, factory seizures, and nationalizing SpaceX — Trump initially downplayed the rhetoric as just talk. But he quickly added a caveat: “But if it is talk, we’ll have to protect them.”
Citing Biden’s Pardon Precedent
Pressed on whether he could issue preemptive pardons, Trump pointed to his predecessor’s actions as justification. “Well, that’s what Biden did. He gave everybody a pardon,” Trump told Devine, referencing what he described as Biden’s pardons for members of what Trump called a “corrupt” congressional committee.
When asked directly if he would issue such pardons for everyone who worked for him, Trump’s answer was unequivocal: “I would not even think about it. I’d do it. I did it for J6,” he said, referring to his controversial pardons related to January 6th cases.
Democratic Threats and Investigations
The president’s comments come against a backdrop of repeated Democratic pledges to investigate Trump, his family, and administration officials should they regain power.
According to Breitbart News, Representative Robert Garcia of California said in July that Democrats would investigate the Trump family for “corruption” if his party wins the majority. Similarly, Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico stated months later that Democrats would not only investigate but potentially impeach Trump’s cabinet secretaries if they secure a majority in the midterms.
Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville recently amplified these warnings, claiming Democrats would “investigate the hell out of” Trump’s alleged “corruption” following the midterm elections.
Turning the Tables on Biden Administration
Trump and his supporters have pushed back against Democratic corruption allegations by pointing to controversies surrounding the Biden family and administration. According to reporting cited in the source material, the Biden family reportedly secured $31 million from five deals in China, all allegedly involving individuals with direct ties to Chinese intelligence apparatus.
A book by Breitbart News senior contributor Peter Schweizer, titled “Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win,” details alleged financial relationships between Hunter Biden and multiple financiers with reported ties to Chinese intelligence. These relationships allegedly included connections to the former head of the Ministry of State Security and the head of foreign intelligence recruitment.
The book argues that Beijing viewed financial relationships with the Bidens as “elite capture” opportunities, allowing Hunter Biden access to high-level Chinese financial institutions and Communist Party officials in exchange for potential influence over American policy.
DOJ Actions Under Biden
Trump’s Department of Justice released a report in April that, according to the source material, revealed “how the Biden administration systematically targeted pro-life activists for FACE Act prosecutions, often at the behest of pro-abortion organizations.”
Additionally, a DOJ Task Force report reportedly found that Biden administration authorities targeted Christians holding traditional values. Republican senators claimed in May that Biden’s DOJ buried newly-released texts allegedly related to possible prostitution crimes involving Hunter Biden.
High-Stakes Political Standoff
The exchange between Trump and Devine highlights the increasingly contentious political environment heading into Tuesday’s elections. Both parties have accused each other of weaponizing the justice system and targeting political opponents — a dynamic that has intensified partisan divisions.
Trump’s willingness to issue preemptive pardons represents an escalation in the ongoing battle over prosecutorial power and presidential clemency. While presidents have historically issued pardons after convictions or even during ongoing investigations, preemptive pardons for potential future prosecutions remain controversial and relatively rare in American political history.
The president’s comments suggest he views Democratic threats against his administration officials as serious enough to warrant extraordinary protective measures, even as he simultaneously characterizes some of the rhetoric as empty talk.
As voters cast their ballots in crucial midterm races across the country, the question of which party controls Congress — and with it, investigative power and subpoena authority — takes on added significance given the pledges from both sides to pursue accountability measures against their political opponents.
Whether Trump will need to make good on his promise to issue preemptive pardons may well depend on Tuesday’s election results and the direction Democrats choose to take should they gain congressional majorities.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/11/02/watch-president-trump-vows-to-preemptively-pardon-administration-staffers-if-democrats-target-them/