Giuliani: Trump 'Probably' Has the Power to Pardon Himself

In an interview with ABC's "This Week" Sunday, Rudy Giuliani asserted that President Donald Trump "probably" has the power to pardon himself, even if he has no plans to do so. 

Giuliani, who recently joined Trump's legal team, said it was an interesting constitutional question. "He has no intention of pardoning himself," said Giuliani. 

"It would be an open question. I think it would probably get answered by, 'gosh that’s what the Constitution says.’ And if you want to change it, change it. But, yeah.”

“I think the political ramifications of that would be tough,” Giuliani added. "Pardoning other people is one thing, pardoning yourself is another."

Giuliani's comments come as a letter from Trump's lawyers asserted in a letter to special counsel Robert Mueller that the president could not have obstructed justice because he has authority over all federal investigations. 

The New York Times obtained the letter, which says that the Constitution gives the president broad authority to, "if he wished, terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon."

Giuliani says the special counsel has not yet responded to the Trump legal team's letter. 

The president has pardoned five people since taking office, including sheriff Joe Arpaio, Boxer Jack Johnson, and this week, conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza, who was convicted in 2014 of making illegal campaign donations. 

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