The Art of the Pardon: How Trump Turned Clemency Into a Business

In the final stretch of the midterm election campaign, polls have found that voters are latching onto the perceived corruption of the Trump administration.
Kenneth P. Vogel, a New York Times investigative journalist, explores one major story line feeding that perception: how those around the president have turned the pardon process into a business.
Guest: Kenneth P. Vogel (nytimes.com/by/kenneth-p-vogel), an investigative journalist for The New York Times.
Background reading:
• The pardon industry (nytimes.com/2026/03/06/us/politics/schwartz-tr…) offers rich offenders a path to President Trump.
• A billionaire wanted a pardon from Mr. Trump. (nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/politics/julio-herre…) His family gave Alina Habba a $50 million deal.
Photo: Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

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