First Comprehensive Analysis Details Who Has Benefited and Who Has Been Left Behind by Trump’s Second-Term Pardons and Commutations
Pressley, Also Urges Trump Pardon Czar to Prioritize Clemency for Communities Directly Harmed by Mass Incarceration
Text of Report | Letter to Trump Pardon Czar
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) unveiled a new, first-of-its-kind report revealing how Donald Trump’s use of clemency and pardons has neglected many of the most marginalized and impacted communities. The report, titled “Trump’s Clemency Gap,” is the first comprehensive analysis of Trump’s clemency actions during his current term and details who has benefited and who has been left behind. Following the release of the report, Congresswoman Pressley sent a letter to Trump’s “pardon czar” urging her to prioritize clemency for people who have been disproportionately harmed by mass incarceration.
Congresswoman Pressley, whose own family has been personally impacted by mass incarceration, has been a leading voice in Congress advocating for presidential clemency to address the mass incarceration crisis and systemic injustices. She is also the lead sponsor of the FIX Clemency Act, legislation to transform America’s broken clemency system.
“Presidential clemency should be used to address injustices—not to reward political allies, corporations, and insurrectionists. As our report makes plain, the Trump White House has used this profound authority to shield extremists, restrict abortion access, reward corporations, and embolden corruption by erasing massive financial penalties for the wealthy and well-connected,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley in a statement alongside the report. “While millions of people suffer under mass incarceration—including Black, brown, low-income, LGBTQ+, and disabled folks—the Trump Administration has an opportunity to change course and use clemency to advance justice. We’re calling on them to do just that.”
The report, grounded in newly compiled data, reveals that despite granting more than 1,700 pardons in a single year, Trump has prioritized his most extreme supporters and political donors while neglecting communities harmed by our unjust criminal legal system.
Key Findings:
- Trump has granted more than 1,500 pardons to January 6th insurrectionists
- 85% of pardons and commutations went to white people
- Only nine clemency actions (5%) were for people convicted of drug offenses
- 10 out of 17 women (59%) pardoned by Donald Trump with convictions had obstructed or denied women’s access to healthcare
- Trump granted the first-ever pardon of a corporation to a multi-million-dollar global crypto company
- Approximately $1.4 billion in restitution and fines were lost as a result of Trump’s clemency grants
- Only 17 people (0.08%) were granted clemency through the Department of Justice application process
Congresswoman Pressley’s report analyzes more than 1,700 presidential pardons and commutations granted by Donald Trump during his current term in office. The data includes all publicly reported federal clemency actions issued from January 20, 2025, through December 15, 2025, as identified through official White House announcements, Department of Justice records, United States Sentencing Commission, academic research institutions, and news organizations.
To read the full report, click here.
In her letter to Alice Johnson, the Trump Administration’s “pardon czar,” Congresswoman Pressley highlighted America’s longstanding mass incarceration crisis and urged her to prioritize clemency for those who have been disproportionately harmed by systemic injustices, including Black and brown, low-income, LGBTQ+, and disabled individuals serving mostly non-violent sentences. Congresswoman Pressley also invoked Johnson’s past support for clemency reform, including the Congresswoman’s FIX Clemency Act.
“Pardons and commutations have the power to transform people’s lives. It should not be limited to wealthy people and political allies,” wrote Congresswoman Pressley in her letter. “Your own personal story is a powerful testament to the importance of granting clemency to those directly harmed by systemic injustices. As a Black woman who was serving a life sentence for drug-related offenses, you know firsthand that there are people currently incarcerated who deserve clemency but lack access, connections, or a public platform.”