Month: November 2025

President Donald Trump has issued broad pardons to several key allies, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, as well as dozens of others accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

The pardons were first reported by Politico’s Kyle Cheney, who cited a social media post from Ed Martin, the Justice Department’s pardon attorney.  The pardons, described as “full, complete, and unconditional,” was later confirmed by the White House.  The sweeping move follows earlier mass pardons of those convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

More than 70 individuals — among them former Trump advisers, attorneys, and self-described alternate electors who falsely claimed to represent Trump in states won by Joe Biden – were listed in the proclamation, which declares that the pardons “end a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 Presidential Election and continue the process of national reconciliation.” It explicitly states, however, that the pardon does not apply to Trump himself, sidestepping questions over whether a president can pardon his own actions.

Among those granted clemency are Giuliani, Trump’s former personal attorney; Meadows, his onetime White House chief of staff; Sidney Powell, John Eastman, and Jeffrey Clark — figures central to efforts to challenge Biden’s victory. Also included are Republicans who signed documents falsely asserting they were legitimate presidential electors in battleground states such as Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and one of Trump’s most outspoken defenders, was a central figure in promoting false claims of election fraud. He has since been disbarred in both New York and Washington, D.C., and lost a $148 million defamation suit filed by two Georgia election workers targeted by his conspiracy theories. A spokesperson for Giuliani, Ted Goodman, said, “Mayor Giuliani never sought a pardon but is deeply grateful for President Trump’s decision,” adding that Giuliani “stands by his work following the 2020 presidential election.”

Eastman, a former law professor and legal adviser to Trump, authored a memo outlining a plan for then–Vice President Mike Pence to reject certified electoral votes during the congressional session on January 6. Powell, Jenna Ellis, and attorney Kenneth Chesebro — all of whom helped craft or promote strategies to contest the election — were also among those pardoned. Powell, Ellis, and Chesebro previously pleaded guilty in Georgia’s state case over efforts to overturn the election.  In addition, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, another recipient, was accused of pushing to send false letters to states claiming the department had found evidence of election irregularities.

In a statement Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “These great Americans were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden Administration for challenging an election, which is the cornerstone of democracy.”

Trump himself had faced federal charges over his alleged role in a scheme to block the peaceful transfer of power after his 2020 loss. That indictment, led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, accused him of spreading “lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won.” The case was dropped in November following Trump’s return to the White House, in line with Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

Editorial credit: Matt Smith Photographer / Shutterstock.com

Lawmakers in Washington have reached a tentative bipartisan agreement to end the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown, setting the stage for swift votes in both chambers of Congress to reopen federal agencies and restore funding.

The Senate reached the breakthrough late Sunday night when eight Democrats joined Republicans in advancing a funding measure backed by the White House. In return, Democrats secured a commitment for a future vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. The package includes three full-year spending bills for specific agencies and a short-term extension to fund the rest of the government at current levels through January 30.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on the floor Monday that lawmakers should move “as quickly as possible” to approve the deal and bring the shutdown to an end. “I said that we will be voting on the final package in the very near future, and I’m hoping that will be hours and not days.” He urged colleagues not to obstruct the process, emphasizing, “I’m grateful that the end is in sight, but I would encourage every member of this body, Democrat or Republican, pro-bill or anti-bill, not to stand in the way of being able to deliver the coming relief quickly. The American people have suffered for long enough.” Because Senate rules require unanimous consent to expedite a final vote, even one objection could delay the process. Still, optimism grew  as both parties signaled readiness to move forward.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told House members in a conference call that they should begin returning to Washington immediately to prepare for a vote on the Senate’s plan, with members advised to travel early due to nationwide flight delays stemming from the shutdown’s ripple effects on federal operations. Johnson expressed confidence that the measure will pass, according to multiple sources familiar with the call.

Johnson said he intends to provide a 36-hour notice before votes begin and is aiming for a possible vote as early as Wednesday, depending on the Senate’s timing. Johnson told reporters: “There’ll be long days and long nights here for the foreseeable future to make up for all this lost time that was imposed upon us.” He also confirmed plans to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., before the House proceeds to vote on a rule governing debate for the Senate’s funding deal, followed by final passage.

The shutdown, which began in mid-September, forced tens of thousands of federal workers to go without pay and disrupted critical services. Among the hardest-hit sectors was air travel, as staffing shortages among air traffic controllers contributed to widespread flight delays and cancellations. The Federal Aviation Administration has struggled with staffing shortages even before the shutdown, and the crisis has deepened operational strain across major airports.

Amid the growing frustration, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to criticize controllers who called out of work during the funding lapse, while praising those who stayed on duty. “For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country … For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.”

If both chambers approve the funding package, it would reopen the government, provide temporary financial stability through late January, and give Congress more time to negotiate long-term appropriations.

Editorial credit: Lucky-photographer / Shutterstock.com