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The president has the absolute power to pardon himself, but won't be needing it Donald Trump said in a series of tweets. The president wrote "As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?"

The tweet came after the New York Times published two letters by President Trump’s lawyers addressed to Special Counsel Robert Mueller that insisted that Trump couldn't obstruct justice, because he is technically the head of the Department of Justice. Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani appeared on ABC News to state that the president "probably does" have the power to pardon himself legally, but would be challenged politically. "Pardoning other people is one thing, pardoning yourself is another," Giuliani said. 

Honorary associate at the USSC Nicole Hemmer wrote in The Age that due to the political nature of impeachment, so long as Trump maintains the backing of conservative media – which fosters support in his base – he is largely shielded from congressional checks. If a self-pardon fails to jeopardise this support, it will therefore be up to the courts to determine the limits of Trump's pardoning rights, Hemmer argues. But the president's respect for any such decision remains another matter altogether.