If you’re looking at the numbers from the last year, they’re basically historic. I mean, we’ve seen presidents use the pardon power for decades, but what happened throughout 2025 was a different beast entirely. It wasn’t just a few high-profile names or a quiet batch of year-end paperwork. It was a flood.
So, let’s get to the big question: how many pardons has Trump given in 2025? By the time we hit the end of December, the total for executive clemency actions blew past 1,700. To put that in perspective, he issued 237 acts of clemency in his entire first term. He basically tripled his four-year record in less than twelve months.
It started with a bang on Inauguration Day—January 20, 2025—and honestly, the momentum never really slowed down.
The Massive Day One "Blanket" Pardon
You probably remember the news cycle that Monday. Right after taking the oath, Trump signed a proclamation that essentially cleared the decks for almost everyone involved in the January 6 Capitol events. This wasn't a case-by-case review. It was what lawyers call a "blanket pardon."
Around 1,500 people were covered in that single stroke of a pen.
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While most received a full, unconditional pardon, there were some notable exceptions. For the heavy hitters—the leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers like Stewart Rhodes and Enrique Tarrio—Trump chose commutations instead. Basically, he cut their sentences to "time served" so they could walk out of prison immediately, but he didn't technically wipe the conviction off their record like he did for the others.
Breaking Down the 2025 Pardon List
Beyond the mass event of January 20, the rest of the year saw a steady stream of individual grants. You've got to look at the variety here because it wasn't just political allies.
- Ross Ulbricht: On January 21, Trump followed through on a campaign promise to the crypto and libertarian communities by pardoning the Silk Road founder. Ulbricht had been serving a life sentence plus forty years.
- The "FACE Act" Group: On January 23, he pardoned 24 anti-abortion protesters, including Lauren Handy. They had been convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act for blockading a D.C. clinic in 2020.
- The Chrisleys: Reality TV fans might have been surprised when Todd and Julie Chrisley were granted clemency later in the year.
- International Figures: He even reached across borders, pardoning former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
It’s interesting to note that according to reports—including a pretty scathing one from Representative Ayanna Pressley’s office—only about 17 of these people actually went through the "proper" Department of Justice application process. Most of them went through what's been called the "Pardon Czar," Alice Marie Johnson, or through direct lobbying from political allies.
The New Infrastructure of Clemency
Everything changed in March 2025. Trump fired the career head of the Office of the Pardon Attorney, Liz Oyer, and brought in Ed Martin. Martin’s philosophy was pretty straightforward: "No MAGA left behind."
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Then you had the lobbyists. People were reportedly paying upwards of $1 million to get their names in front of the President. It became a bit of a "Wild West" system where personal connections mattered way more than the official DOJ backlog.
Why the Restitution Numbers Matter
One thing people often miss when asking how many pardons has Trump given in 2025 is the money. It’s not just about staying out of jail. A full pardon usually wipes out fines and restitution orders.
By the end of 2025, it’s estimated that roughly $1.4 billion in court-ordered restitution and fines were essentially canceled. For the victims of some of these crimes—especially in fraud cases—that was a massive blow. For example, Joseph Schwartz, who was convicted of nursing home fraud, was granted clemency in November, much to the frustration of prosecutors.
What Really Happened With the Critics?
It wasn't all a celebration for the recipients. Believe it or not, some people actually turned them down.
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Pamela Hemphill, who was involved in the January 6 events, famously rejected her pardon. She argued that the narrative was being "gaslit" and that she actually had broken the law and deserved the consequences. It’s a rare move, but it highlights how polarizing these 1,700+ actions have been.
Summary of the 2025 Clemency Totals
If you’re keeping a running tally for your own notes, here’s how the landscape looks as we move into 2026:
- Mass Pardons: ~1,500 (mostly January 6 related).
- Individual Pardons: 142 (as of November, likely higher by year-end).
- Commutations: 28 (including the high-profile militia leaders).
- Corporate Pardons: One (a multi-million dollar crypto company, which was a first for any president).
Actionable Steps for Tracking Further Pardons
If you are tracking a specific case or want to see if the numbers have ticked up even higher this week, here is what you should do:
- Check the DOJ’s "Search for a Case" tool: While Trump bypassed the DOJ for many, the official certificates still eventually land in their database for public record.
- Monitor White House Proclamations: These are usually posted in the "Presidential Actions" section of the official site.
- Follow the Pardon Czar's updates: Alice Marie Johnson often discusses the criteria for upcoming clemency rounds in interviews.
The sheer volume of 2025 pardons has fundamentally changed how we view the "mercy" power of the presidency. Whether you see it as a correction of a "weaponized" system or an end-run around the rule of law, the data shows that 2025 was the busiest year for a presidential pen in modern history.