Donald Trump weighs 250 pardons for U.S. 250th anniversary

President Trump is weighing a plan to pardon 250 people to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary, with officials considering announcing the list on June 14 or July 4. The plan is in a preliminary stage and no final decision or public list has been released.

The timing would align with national celebrations, though officials have not described how names would be chosen from the pool of applicants and petitions.

The federal clemency office logged more than 16,000 formal pardon requests last year. White House officials have not confirmed the 250-person figure or a target date.

The proposal follows earlier high-profile clemency actions during the president’s term. On his first day back in office last year, he granted more than 1,500 pardons tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Several figures from the cryptocurrency industry have sought pardons or clemency. Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX, was convicted on seven counts related to the exchange’s collapse and sentenced to 25 years in 2024; he has publicly campaigned for a pardon, and reports indicate Trump had ruled out pardoning him earlier this year.

Keonne Rodriguez, a developer linked to the Samourai Wallet mixing protocol, has requested clemency. A petition backing Rodriguez has gathered more than 16,000 signatures. The president indicated in December he would review Rodriguez’s case.

Two petitions seeking pardons for Tornado Cash founders Roman Storm and Roman Semenov have gathered only a few signatures. Storm was convicted last August on charges related to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and faces additional charges. Semenov is believed to be at large and is wanted by federal authorities.

Some clemency grants during the president’s second term have involved crypto-sector figures. In 2025, the co-founders of the crypto exchange BitMEX received pardons after pleading guilty to failing to maintain anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer programs. Also in 2025, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao received a pardon after serving a four-month sentence following a guilty plea to a Bank Secrecy Act violation. In January 2025, Ross Ulbricht received a pardon that reduced his life sentence.

Legal advocates and prosecutors have offered different views on responsibility for third-party use of software and platforms. Those differences are likely to factor into which cases are considered for clemency.

Officials have not released criteria for selecting names or a timeline for final decisions. Any public announcement could occur on June 14, the president’s birthday, or during July 4 Independence Day events, but plans remain subject to change and the White House has not issued a statement.