The House And Senate Have Made A Deal On Russia And Iran Sanctions
After weeks of negotiations, the House and Senate are expected to vote on the Russia, Iran and North Korea Sanctions Act on Tuesday.
LEARN MORETrump Tweeted He Has 'Complete Power To Pardon.' But Does He?
Even experts can't agree on whether or not the president can pardon himself.
Trump Tweeted He Has 'Complete Power To Pardon.' But Does He?
Getty Images
July 23, 2017
In a tweet Saturday morning, President Donald Trump said he has "complete power to pardon."
His tweet appears to be a response to a Washington Post report that alleges Attorney General Jeff Sessions had campaign-related discussions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
In another tweet, Trump wrote: "A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post, this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions. These illegal leaks, like Comey's, must stop!"
It also follows a different Washington Post report that said Trump met with advisers about his "power to pardon aides, family members and even himself" in the investigation of possible collusion with Russia in Trump's campaign.
While Trump asserts that "all agree" to his absolute pardoning power, that's not actually the case. Expert opinions vary — perhaps because no president has ever attempted to pardon themselves.
According to The New York Times, the only "explicitly stated" limit to a presidential pardon is that it can't be used to stop impeachment or pardon state law offenses.
Some experts say the president can't pardon himself because it would be a conflict of interest. But, as we've noted in the past, Trump has a lot of those.
There's also the 25th Amendment route: Trump could declare himself temporarily "disabled," have Vice President Mike Pence take over his duties in order to pardon him, and then take the office back from Pence.
Trump's tweet comes as his legal team faces allegations that it's trying to undercut the Russia investigation run by Robert Mueller.
Trump's lawyers have denied those accusations, calling them "nonsense."
US demands chemical plant immediately reduce cancer-causing emissions
Department of Justice officials filed a motion to order a company to immediately reduce harmful emissions of chloroprene, a likely carcinogen.
3:08
SHRED Act may bring much needed funds to national forests
The SHRED Act would change how money is allocated and put it back into national forests.
3:04
Is New York prepared for unrest amid possible Trump arrest?
Security efforts are unique in that they will also involve the FBI and Secret Service, because of the involvement of a former president.
Top Stories
3:11
How is technology helping solve criminal cases?
Digital activity leaves virtual fingerprints thanks to data mapping, smartphone tracking, and facial recognition.
US demands chemical plant immediately reduce cancer-causing emissions
Department of Justice officials filed a motion to order a company to immediately reduce harmful emissions of chloroprene, a likely carcinogen.
4:25
Why don’t airport codes match their names?
Welcome to the wild world of airport codes. To understand how airports get their abbreviations, we need to know some other abbreviations first.
