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US Politics

Trump says he would protect Musk and may pardon staff if Democrats investigate

In a podcast interview published Monday, a day before the midterm elections, Trump said he would issue advance pardons if he needed to.

9 news outlets reported this
Liberal5 outletsTrump's pardon talk and Musk's election spendingCenter1 outletTrump vows protection, floats pardons before midtermsConservative3 outletsTrump would shield staff from Democratic prosecution threats
Published 3 min read
Overview

President Donald Trump said in a podcast interview that he would move to protect Elon Musk if Democrats target the billionaire after the elections. The interview, on "Pod Force One" with host Miranda Devine, was published Monday. The midterms are Tuesday.

Devine asked about talk of Musk being investigated, arrested or having his assets seized. Trump answered, "It's talk. But if it is talk, we'll have to protect them."

Asked about advance for everybody who worked for him, Trump said, "I would if I needed to," and, "I would not even think about it. I'd do it." He pointed to former President Joe Biden's pardons and said, "I did it for J6."

Axios says polls point to the prospect of a significant blue wave. The New York Post says polls show Democrats favored to flip , and that Trump called the polls "rigged." The Independent reports that Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are reportedly preparing to target Musk if their party wins control of .

The Post notes that pardons cover only federal crimes and give no protection from state prosecutions, civil suits or .

Key figures
  • over $445 million Musk's political donations this cycle, per FEC filings obtained by Bloomberg — The Independent (US)
  • $77 million put into Musk's America PAC in the first half of October — The Independent (US)
  • at least $71 million Musk's spending to support Republicans in Senate races in five states, per The Independent — The Independent (US)
  • $33.1 million spent by Musk's PAC on the Texas race between Talarico and Paxton — The Independent (US)

Three sides of the story

Liberal5 outlets

Trump's pardon talk and Musk's election spending

The Independent's headline has Trump floating pardons to "protect" Musk and his staffers from Democratic investigations. It quotes him on the podcast: "I would not even think about it.

I'd do it." It then turns to Musk's money, citing filings obtained by Bloomberg: over $445 million in political donations this cycle, with $77 million going to his America in the first half of October. It adds that he has spent at least $71 million backing Republicans in races in Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Iowa and Maine.

House Oversight Committee Democrats are reportedly preparing to target Musk, and the paper quotes Texas Democratic Rep. Greg Casar: "it takes two to tango." The New York Times headline says Trump floats pre-emptive pardons for allies if Democrats take Congress in the midterms. It quotes him on possible investigations of allies and administration officials: "We just have to protect those people."

Center1 outlet

Trump vows protection, floats pardons before midterms

Axios opens with Trump vowing to protect Musk if Democrats investigate him, and suggesting he could pardon staff and others around him in advance. Under "Why it matters," it says Trump is "positioning himself for a combative final two years" in office, as polls point to the prospect of a significant blue wave. It quotes his answer to host Miranda Devine: "It's talk.

But if it is talk, we'll have to protect them." It adds that he said he would not hesitate to pardon staffers he believed Democrats were pursuing. Forbes headlines that Trump says he might pardon Musk if Democrats win.

It says Democrats are readying several investigations of Trump and his circle, one of them examining whether Musk's companies gained from his closeness to Trump.

Conservative3 outlets

Trump would shield staff from Democratic prosecution threats

Breitbart News frames the story as Trump protecting officials from Democrats, "whose party continues moving further to the left." It prints the exchange with Devine, including Trump saying Biden "gave everybody a pardon" and that "I did it for J6." It then lists Democratic pledges to investigate, from Rep. Robert Garcia, who spoke of the Trump family and "corruption," to Rep. Melanie Stansbury and strategist James Carville.

The New York Post headline says Trump will use preemptive pardons for staff and allies if Democrats take Congress, and its text says he is ready to issue them broadly to all who worked in his administration. It quotes Slotkin saying "I want that deterrence message sent." It adds that Rep. Jamie Raskin, described as the probable next Judiciary Committee chair if Democrats win the House, vowed to root out what he calls "systemic corruption."

The Post notes pardons cover only federal crimes, and says Trump called polls "rigged."

All sources: 9 articles from 9 outlets

Liberal (5)

Center (1)

Conservative (3)

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Midterm elections

US elections halfway through a president's four-year term. The whole House, a third of the Senate and many governors are elected. In 2026 Election Day is November 3.

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Pardon

The president (for federal crimes) or a governor (for state crimes) forgives a convicted person and cancels the punishment.

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House of Representatives

The lower chamber of Congress: 435 members elected every two years, with more seats for bigger states. It is the chamber that can impeach officials.

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Congress

The US parliament: the Senate and the House of Representatives. A bill becomes law when both pass it and the president signs it.

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Impeachment

A formal accusation against a top official, up to the president, voted by the House of Representatives. Only the Senate can then remove the official, with two-thirds of the votes.

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FEC (Federal Election Commission)

The agency that enforces the rules on campaign money: donation limits and public records of who gave what. Journalists use its records to see who funds a campaign.

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PAC and super PAC

A political action committee collects donations and gives them to candidates within legal limits. A super PAC may raise and spend unlimited money on ads, but may not give to candidates or coordinate with them.

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Senate

The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

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