Rumors have circulated that Donald Trump is planning to issue 250 pardons to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary, and some high-profile names could very likely be under consideration.
White House officials were in preliminary discussions as of Wednesday about issuing pardons to celebrate America's semi-quincentennial, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Discussions have also included plans to announce the pardons on the Fourth of July or on the president's 80th birthday, June 14, sources told WSJ.
The president has already granted clemency to a wide range of individuals during his second term, including disgraced Representative George Santos and over 1,500 rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Several celebrities and socialites behind bars have launched campaigns for the coveted presidential pardon, including tech CEO Elizabeth Holmes, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and disgraced Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Trump has been wary to confirm who he plans to pardon, but has stood firm against issuing at least one to the former head of crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried.
After Bankman-Fried started fawning over the president in a series of social media posts via a proxy, speculation mounted about whether he was pushing for a pardon.
Much to his dismay, Trump told the New York Times in January that he had 'no intention' of pardoning Bankman-Fried. Trump also closed the door on pardons for ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and disgraced former Senator Robert Menendez.
A recent report has revealed that Donald Trump, pictured above in the Oval Office, is in talks to pardon 250 people to celebrate America's semi quincentennial anniversary
Disgraced music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs, pictured above in 2022, wrote a letter to Trump asking him for clemency. Trump has not confirmed whether he would grant it
Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers have also pushed for clemency after she was convicted on sex trafficking charges. She's pictured above at a conference in 2013
The White House has also reiterated earlier this year that Trump was not planning to pardon the fallen crypto titan.
The president has the power to grant pardons to individuals convicted of federal crimes under the Constitution. Pardons do not apply to state convictions.
The power is intended as an act of grace to advance public welfare, but has been criticized as a means of undermining the justice system.
Trump had previously come under fire for prioritizing white-collar criminals and political allies, after he pardoned his former attorney and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, billionaire Changpeng Zhao and political ally Steve Bannon.
However, the president has avoided explicitly denying or addressing potential pardons for some of the country's most infamous criminals.
Sam Bankman-Fried, pictured above ouside federal court in 2023, will not be granted a pardon, the White House previously said
Trump has denied that he would grant a pardon to disgraced former Senator Robert Menendez and ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, pictured above
Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Diddy was convicted last July of transporting people across state lines for sexual encounters in a sensational trial that captured headlines for nearly two months.
He was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering and was sentenced to about four years in federal prison.
In the past, Trump and Diddy have crossed paths multiple times, and have been pictured together at events for members the New York elite.
Trump had even praised Diddy during an episode of The Celebrity Apprentice, which Trump hosted before launching his political career.
The president revealed to the New York Times in January that the disgraced music mogul had written him a letter seeking a pardon, but did not confirm whether he planned to grant it.
Trump told Newsmax last year that the two had been 'friendly,' but Diddy was 'hostile' when he ran for office, making a pardon 'more difficult to do.'
Trump and Diddy previously crossed paths when they were among the New York elite. They are pictured above with Melania Trump at a benefit in 2008
Trump said that he and Diddy were 'friendly' but the rapper's hositility toward his political career complicated a potential pardon. The two are pictured together in New York in 1998
Joe Exotic
Joe Exotic may be a distant pandemic memory for some, but the 'Tiger King' star has continued to garner attention from prison.
He was sensationally convicted in a murder-for-hire plot against his costar, Carole Baskin, and sentenced to 21 years behind bars in Oklahoma in 2020.
Last year, Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado, pleaded with Trump on social media to release him from prison so he could be with his husband in Mexico, who was previously deported.
The president was asked in 2020 whether he would pardon the reality star, and he replied that he would 'take a look.'
Former reality television star Joe Exotic, pictured above, has also asked for a pardon while serving a sentence for a murder-for-hire plot
Derek Chauvin
It is unlikely that Trump would consider pardoning Derek Chauvin after the former officer was convicted of murdering George Floyd, but there has been a right-wing campaign advocating for the disgraced cop's release.
Chauvin was sentenced in 2022 to 20 to 25 years in prison on second-degree murder and federal civil rights charges.
Alt-right online personality Ben Shapiro advocated for the pardon last March, calling it 'absolutely necessary.' Elon Musk retweeted the clip, adding: 'Something to think about.'
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz cautioned that state officials should be prepared for the pardon, adding: 'With this presidency, it seems like that might be something they would do.'
When questioned earlier this year about whether he would consider pardoning Chauvin, Trump responded that he had not been asked.
Even if Trump did decide to issue the controversial pardon, Chauvin would not be released from prison, as he was convicted of murder charges in state court.
Trump only has the power to pardon Chauvin for his federal conviction of depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights.
Right-wingers have floated a pardon for Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd while he was on duty as a police offer. He's pictured above in court in 2021
Nicki Minaj's brother Jelani
Nicki Minaj's brother Jelani, pictured above in a booking photo, was convicted in a child rape case
Fans have speculated that rapper Nicki Minaj's sudden support for Trump is part of a scheme to secure a pardon for her brother, Jelani.
The 'Superbass' rapper met with Trump in January. They were seen holding hands, and she described herself as 'the president's number one fan.'
Democratic strategist Mike Nellis wrote on X at the time: 'It's super f****** embarrassing watching Nicki Minaj kiss Donald Trump's a** to get a pardon for her husband and her brother.'
Minaj's brother, Jelani, was convicted in a child rape case in 2017 and was sentenced to 25 years to life in 2020.
Her husband, Kenneth Petty, was also found guilty of raping a teenager and is a registered sex offender.
Minaj has not indicated that she has asked Trump for a pardon, and the president has not addressed whether he would pardon the rapper's brother.
Fans have speculated that Minaj's sudden support for Trump may be a way of securing a pardon for her brother. The two are pictured above together in January
The Alexander brothers
Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander were convicted in New York earlier this year on sex trafficking charges. They have yet to be sentenced.
Oren and Tal were luxury real estate brokers. The three brothers were popular in the Miami party circuit and were well known across the country and in Israel.
The trio attended the White House Hanukkah Party in 2020 during Trump's first presidential term. Oren was also the agent for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's Florida mansion in 2021.
The men have yet to be sentenced, but three sources with knowledge of the matter told the New York Times in March that they were exploring avenues to seek a presidential pardon.
Yehuda Kaploun, the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, told the Times that he would have to review a potential pardon application but that the decision was ultimately the president's.
The Alexander brothers are reportedly exploring pathways to secure a presidential pardon. Oren, Tal and Alon Alexander (left to right) are pictured above in 2014
The three brothers were convicted earlier this year on sex trafficking charges. A courtroom drawing is pictured above
Joe Giudice
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Joe Giudice publicly pleaded for Trump's pardon in an Instagram post last June.
Giudice and his wife, Teresa, who was also featured on Trump's The Celebrity Apprentice, were convicted in 2014 of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud.
The pair completed their sentences, but Guidice was then deported to Italy after 41 months in prison.
'I was raised in Jersey, I’m a father of four amazing daughters, and I just want to be allowed to visit them again,' he wrote on Instagram.
'President Trump, I respect you and I’m asking for a second chance.'
Trump did not address whether he would consider pardoning Giudice and allowing him back into the US.
Reality star Joe Giudice posted on Instagram last year pleading for Trump to pardon him so he could return to the US following his conviction on conspiracy and bankruptcy charges
Elizabeth Holmes
Holmes was sentenced to over 11 years in prison. Her attorneys filed a request for an early release from prison with the Department of Justice earlier this year.
She attempted to overturn the conviction in 2025, but lost the bid. Like Bankman-Fried, Holmes has also begun bolstering Trump's policies on her social media account.
Trump has not said whether he would pardon Holmes. However, the move would align with the president's pardons for white-collar criminals.
Elizabeth Holmes, pictured above, has filed a request for early release from prison with the DOJ
Holmes was was convicted in 2022 of wire fraud and conspiracy. If pardoned, she would join a list of white-collar criminals granted clemency under Trump. She is pictured above in prison
Larry Householder
Disgraced Ohio politician Larry Householder decided to seek a pardon from Trump after the US Supreme Court decided not to overturn his bribery conviction, his lawyer told the Columbus Dispatch last month.
Householder was sentenced to prison for 20 years in 2023 after investigators found he received nearly $61 million in bribes to pass and uphold a billion-dollar nuclear plant.
The scheme was deemed 'one of the largest public corruption conspiracies in Ohio history' by the US Attorney's Office.
Trump has not publicly addressed whether he would consider granting a pardon to Housholder.
Disgraced Ohio politician Larry Householder, pictured above, has also asked Trump for a pardon. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on bribery charges
Ghislaine Maxwell
Perhaps the criminal with the most pardon buzz is disgraced socialite and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Maxwell was convicted on sex trafficking charges for conspiring with Epstein. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022.
Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right when called to testify for the House Oversight Committee. Her lawyers said she would speak freely if granted clemency.
Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said that pardoning Maxwell was 'disgusting and outrageous.'
However, Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, told Politico last month: 'There’s a good chance and for good reason that she would get a pardon.'
Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers are advocating for clemency. She's pictured above with Trump in an undated photo
Trump has not confirmed whether he was considering a pardon for Maxwell. The two are pictured above with Melania in 2000
When Trump was asked by CNN if he would pardon Maxwell, he replied that he would have to speak with the DOJ and review her case.
A White House spokesperson told the Daily Mail that no official decisions have been made on whether the president will grant 250 pardons for America's semi-quincentennial anniversary, adding that Trump will ultimately decide who is eligible for clemency.