Proclamation excludes Trump himself and applies only to federal offences; legal impact on state cases involving fake electors and 2020-related prosecutions remains limited

By NetNewsLedger Staff
Category: International Political News**
Published: November 5, 2025

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has issued sweeping pardons to several allies tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 U.S. election, including former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Sidney Powell and John Eastman, and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, according to a Justice Department official.

A proclamation posted online by the government’s pardon attorney describes the clemency as “full, complete, and unconditional.” The document explicitly excludes Trump himself. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The proclamation characterizes past prosecutions of Trump allies over 2020-related conduct as “a grave national injustice” and frames the pardons as part of “the process of national reconciliation.”

What the pardons do—and don’t do

• Federal only: U.S. presidential pardons apply solely to federal crimes. They do not erase or block state charges.

• Many allies not federally charged: Several of the individuals named had not been charged in federal court over 2020 election activity; some were described as uncharged co-conspirators in past federal filings.

• State cases continue: The proclamation also lists Republicans who acted as “alternate” or “fake” electors in 2020. Many of those matters are state prosecutions (e.g., submitting false certificates), which are unaffected by a presidential pardon unless there is a parallel federal exposure.

• Trump not covered: The document states the pardon does not apply to President Trump.

Names included in the proclamation

• Rudy Giuliani — Former New York City mayor and Trump attorney who promoted unsubstantiated fraud claims; later disbarred in D.C. and New York and found liable in a major defamation case involving Georgia election workers.

• Mark Meadows — Trump’s former chief of staff, scrutinized for his role in post-election events.

• Sidney Powell — Lawyer who advanced conspiracy theories about a stolen election.

• John Eastman — Lawyer who drafted a roadmap urging then-Vice-President Mike Pence to disrupt the counting of electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021.

• Jeffrey Clark — Former DOJ official who backed Trump’s push to challenge the 2020 outcome.

Background: federal special counsel case

Trump was previously indicted on federal charges alleging efforts to overturn his 2020 loss. Following his 2025 election victory over Kamala Harris, that case was abandoned under the Justice Department’s longstanding policy against prosecuting a sitting president. The new pardons do not affect any future non-federal proceedings and do not shield recipients from civil liability.

What happens next

• Immediate effect on federal exposure: Any covered federal liability named in the proclamation is extinguished.

• State prosecutions proceed: Ongoing or potential state cases (including alternate elector prosecutions) can still move forward.

• No expungement: Pardons forgive the offence; they do not erase the historical record of the conduct or any civil judgments.

• Possible court tests: If scope or wording is challenged, courts may need to interpret the reach of the proclamation person-by-person.

The move is likely to further create division in the United States where currently the government is shutdown over budget battles in the Congress and Senate.