Breaking: Bombshell news on Trump issuing mass pardons - Brian Tyler Cohen and Glenn Kirschner

Legal Breakdown episode 698: Trump suggests mass pardons to administration officials.

The following summary is AI-generated.

Here are the key points from the video:

- Trump's reported pardon promise: According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump allegedly promised pardons to anyone who came within 200 feet of the Oval Office, which the hosts argue signals a green light for lawless behavior.

- Pardon power is plenary: Courts have ruled presidential pardon power is broad and largely unconstrained, though no precedent exists for a president pardoning co-conspirators in crimes he directly commissioned for personal benefit.

- State prosecutions as a workaround: Presidential pardons only cover federal crimes — state-level charges (like Trump's New York conviction) are beyond their reach, making state attorneys general a key check on potential federal lawlessness.

- DC's unique vulnerability: Unlike all other jurisdictions, presidential pardons apply to both federal and local DC court convictions, leaving DC residents with less protection than citizens in any U.S. state.

- Constraining the pardon power: The hosts argue that meaningful limits would likely require a constitutional amendment, as legislation alone would probably not survive scrutiny from the current Supreme Court.

- Role of Congress: The hosts suggest that only a handful of Republicans crossing the aisle would be needed to impeach and remove Trump, but express skepticism that this political will currently exists.