Speaking on HBO's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver said the constitutional power to pardon federal crimes is "basically unchecked" and warned that Trump has used it on an extraordinary scale. The comic host claimed the president's second term has seen an explosion in pardons, with nearly 2,000 granted in less than two years and reports that another 250 could be issued as part of celebrations for America's 250th birthday.

The sheer scale stunned Oliver. While he acknowledged that pardons can serve an important purpose, he argued that Trump has repeatedly used them to benefit people with personal or political ties to him.

The controversy comes against a backdrop of presidential pardon rows stretching back decades. Oliver pointed to Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon and Joe Biden's pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, as examples of favouritism by past presidents.

But he insisted those cases were exceptions rather than the rule.

Trump, he said, has frequently bypassed the traditional process. During his first term, he pardoned allies and associates including Charles Kushner and Paul Manafort. Oliver also noted that Trump granted some clemency cases that attracted broader support, including Alice Marie Johnson, whose life sentence for drug trafficking drew advocacy from Kim Kardashian.

The host argued that Trump's second-term actions have gone much further.

After returning to office, Trump issued pardons connected to the January 6 Capitol riot, including the leader of the Proud Boys and hundreds of protesters charged with assaulting law enforcement officers or resisting arrest.

Oliver cited legal experts who say no president has begun a term with so many pardons that break with established policies and norms.

He also highlighted Trump's proposed $1.8bn "anti-weaponization" fund, designed to compensate people who claim they were unfairly prosecuted under Joe Biden's administration.

Andrew Paul Johnson

One case particularly angered Oliver. He pointed to pardoned January 6 rioter Andrew Paul Johnson, who was later arrested on child sexual abuse allegations and reportedly attempted to buy a victim's silence with money he expected from the proposed fund.

"I don't know if there is any clearer example of 'two wrongs don't make a right' than trying to silence your child victim with your treason money," Oliver said.

The comedian then turned to white-collar crime. More than 50 of Trump's second-term pardons have involved offences such as fraud and money laundering, according to Oliver.

Trevor Milton,

Among them was Trevor Milton, founder of electric vehicle startup Nikola. Milton had been convicted of wire fraud and donated more than $1.8m to Trump's re-election campaign fund. Oliver noted that the pardon also eliminated more than $600m in restitution obligations owed to investors.

"Milton is not a one-off," Oliver said, claiming Trump's second-term pardons have removed more than $1.3bn from victims and crime survivors.

Changpeng Zhao

Oliver argued that media attention, money and appeals to Trump's ego now appear more influential than traditional pardon criteria.

He reserved particular attention for crypto executive Changpeng Zhao. In 2023, Binance and Zhao pleaded guilty to failures linked to money laundering controls, with the company paying $4bn in penalties.

Trump granted Zhao a full pardon in October 2025.

When asked on 60 Minutes about the decision, Trump responded: "I don't know who he is ... I just heard it was a Biden witch-hunt."

Oliver seized on the remark, accusing Trump of distancing himself from people once controversy emerges. He also noted reports that Binance had entered into a crypto deal with the Trump family months before the pardon, a deal said to be worth about $30m a month to the family.

Looking ahead, Oliver admitted there are limited legal options for challenging presidential pardon powers. While some critics want restrictions imposed, he warned that weakening the power could have unintended consequences because clemency has historically benefited many deserving recipients.

Even so, he argued the balance has shifted dramatically.

Closing his monologue, Oliver accused Trump of applying "law and order" selectively, claiming he is willing to return violent offenders and fraudsters to society if they are political supporters.

John Oliver on Trump’s pardons: ‘He’ll put violent people back in the streets because they support him’

The pardon that sickened me the most was the Silk Road founder. That was disgusting beyond reason.

32 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

The pardon that sickened me the most was the Silk Road founder. That was disgusting beyond reason.

Why?

1 hour ago, Fact said:

Why?

He was the head of one of the largest pedo rackets, drug sales globally, murder for hire to name a few. He got the pardon by giving 47 a boatload of money. Google the SOB, he should be in jail for his next three lifetimes.