Washington, Nov 10 — US President Donald Trump said he intended to issue large numbers of pardons before leaving office, arguing that people serving his administration should be protected from spending years defending themselves against investigations and prosecutions.
In an interview with Ross Douthat for CBS News’ “60 Minutes”, Trump said he did not expect to pardon himself, although he asserted that he had the power to do so.
Asked whether he expected to issue many pardons when he left office, Trump replied: “Yes, I do.”
He then described a broad intention to protect people who had worked around him. He said people serving the country should not have to spend the rest of their lives defending themselves against political opponents.
“I intend to issue tremendous numbers of pardons,” Trump said.
Douthat jokingly asked whether he, too, might receive a pardon because they were sitting close to the Oval Office. Trump responded in the same vein before returning to his complaints about unfair treatment.
Trump also defended his pardons for people involved in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, saying he believed they had been treated exceptionally unfairly.
Douthat challenged him specifically about those who attacked police officers. Trump acknowledged that some had become violent but argued that force had also been used against them.
“Well, there -- there were some that -- there were some that got rough, but, you know, they were rough to them too,” Trump said.
When Douthat asked whether police had a right to use force against people attacking them, Trump turned to his support among police organisations. He claimed broad backing from officers and said the Capitol Police loved him.
The interview later returned to Trump’s feelings about political opponents, with Douthat asking whether he could forgive people he had expressed hatred towards.
Douthat named former FBI Director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while posing a question about forgiveness and the afterlife.
Trump said he considered those opponents dishonest and harmful to the country. Pressed on whether he could forgive them, he replied: “The answer is no. I want to be honest: no.”
Douthat challenged that response, pointing to Trump’s long and successful life and asking whether he could find forgiveness after all he had received.
“I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will,” Trump said.
Asked how he wanted his presidency remembered, he replied: “That I made America great again.”