Trump staffers seek pardons

News · Heat 2.7 / 10 · 2 shows · 14m airtime

In late October 2026, reports said Trump administration staffers, from junior to mid-level, were retaining lawyers and seeking pardons ahead of midterms that polls suggest Democrats could win. Later reporting named Stephen Miller, Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent among those lining up white-collar defense lawyers. The discussion centers on whether Trump will issue mass pardons covering executive branch staff, and whether the motive is protecting them or keeping them quiet ahead of Democratic investigations.

How 2 podcasts covered it

1. Legal AF by MeidasTouch, 2026-10-25 (3:10 to 7:01)
   Predicts a mass pardon to keep staffers quiet
   Opens the episode on reports that administration staffers are lawyering up and seeking pardons before the midterms, with Ben predicting a mass pardon covering the executive branch to keep staffers quiet under Democratic investigations.
   New angle: Mid-level and junior administration staffers are reportedly retaining lawyers and seeking pardons ahead of the midterms.
2. Legal AF by MeidasTouch, 2026-10-25 (7:03 to 12:07)
   Names the officials lining up defense lawyers
   Names the inner-circle officials reportedly lining up white-collar defense lawyers - Miller, Lutnick, Bessent, Blair - and ties the pardon push to Slotkin's viral deterrence comments and Trump's own on-record remarks about mass pardons.
   New angle: Stephen Miller, Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent are reportedly among those lining up white-collar defense lawyers.
3. Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar, 2026-10-27 (27:13 to 32:34)
   Plays the monsters clip against the pardon report
   Plays Trump's 'two big monsters' remarks and reads them alongside the weekend report that the White House is weighing mass pardons for junior staff. Frames it as evidence this administration is more sycophantic than 2020's, then argues courts stay deferential to states and a wide margin would be hard to contest.