85% of people given federal pardons or clemency this year are white, House lawmaker's report says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Dec. 16, 2025, 8:00 AM EST


Eighty-five percent of the people granted pardons or clemency this year by President Donald Trump are white, and Jan. 6 defendants made up 90% of those who benefited, according to a new report compiled by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform.

Five percent are Latino and another 8% are Black, according to the report, which was first shared with NBC News.

Comparing these statistics against the makeup of the general federal prison population, Pressley’s report notes that a quarter of that population is white, 36% Hispanic and 34% Black.

“Donald Trump’s use of clemency and pardons has neglected many of the most marginalized and impacted communities,” her office said in a statement accompanying the report. “What this report illustrates is that Donald Trump has neglected to use the powerful tool of clemency to benefit those who need it the most,” Pressley said in an interview. NBC News has reached out to the White House for comment.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/85-people-federal-pardons-clemency-year-are-white-house-lawmakers-repo-rcna248867

---

Link to Rep. Pressley PRESS RELEASE - Pressley Unveils First-of-Its-Kind Report Exposing Trump’s Clemency Gap, How Pardons Neglect Those Who Need Them Most

Link to LETTER to "Pardon Czar" (PDF) - https://pressley.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Congressional-Letter-to-Pardon-Czar-Alice-Johnson.pdf

Link to REPORT (PDF) - https://pressley.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pressley-Report-Trumps-Clemency-Gap.pdf