May 2020 – President Donald Trump’s clemency powers have been highly scrutinized lately. Some media sources have even suggested that Trump has abused his use of pardons and commutations. But according to records of the U.S. Department of Justice, Trump has used his clemency powers less than any other president in the last century, having granted only 18 pardons and 6 commutations at press time.
In contrast, President Barack Obama granted a total of 1,927 clemency requests. President George W. Bush granted 200 requests, while his father bestowed only 77. Since World War II, Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Dwight D. Eisenhower both signed over 1,000 pardons and commutations, and President Harry Truman granted more than 2,000.
