Can a President pardon himself? No.

[pnwmom]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/no-trump-cant-pardon-himself-the-constitution-tells-us-so/2017/07/21/f3445d74-6e49-11e7-b9e2-2056e768a7e5_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.b963ceb5ddc6

By Laurence H. Tribe, Richard Painter and Norman Eisen July 21

Laurence H. Tribe is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School. Richard Painter, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, was chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007 and is vice-chair of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Norman Eisen, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, was chief White House ethics lawyer for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2011 and is chair of CREW.

Can a president pardon himself? Four days before Richard Nixon resigned, his own Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel opined no, citing “the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case.” We agree.

The Justice Department was right that guidance could be found in the enduring principles that no one can be both the judge and the defendant in the same matter, and that no one is above the law.

The Constitution specifically bars the president from using the pardon power to prevent his own impeachment and removal. It adds that any official removed through impeachment remains fully subject to criminal prosecution. That provision would make no sense if the president could pardon himself.

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[delisen]

1. Unfortunately Trump can pardon those who can testify against him

This is what GHW Bush did in Iran Contra scandal. It made the special prosecutor angry but there was nothing he could do about it.

I think the state investigations are therefore very important because Trump has no power to pardon state crimes.

[pnwmom]

2. They would have to admit guilt to accept the pardon.

And then they would likely be opening themselves up to prosecution in other jurisdictions, like NY -- which, as the financial center of the banking industry, has its own strict financial laws.