Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with the Axios AM and PM newsletters. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to the Axios Closer newsletter for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter.
Sign up for Axios Pro Rata
Dive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with the Axios Sports newsletter. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Des Moines newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Want a daily digest of the top DC news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.
Photo: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
As a convicted former Trump campaign aide seeks a pardon, the president appears unlikely to do so for now, according to comments he made on Fox News' "Hannity" and remarks by his lawyer Wednesday.
I don’t want to talk about pardons now but I can say it’s so sad on so many levels ... Many many people were hurt, incredibly hurt, by this whole scam."— President Trump tells Fox News' "Hannity"
The details: Fox News anchor Sean Hannity asked Trump during their interview if he'd consider pardoning former national security adviser Michael Flynn or ex-Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, now the Mueller probe had ended. “General Flynn ... was a man who had an incredible record in the military, you see what happened to him,” Trump said. "You know what he has gone through, and what so many others have gone through."
What they're saying: Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani ruled out any such move during an interview with the AP. "The president is not going to consider pardons," he said. "He’s not gonna give any pardons. If it ever happens, it has to happen in the future, but nobody has any promise of it, nobody should assume it. Of course, he has the power to do it, but I have no reason to believe he’s going to use it."
The backdrop: Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI on the nature of his conversations with the then-Russian ambassador to the U.S. and is awaiting sentencing. Papadopoulos served a 12-day prison sentence after being charged by the Mueller investigation for lying to the FBI. He told Reuters Tuesday his lawyers had formally applied for a pardon from Trump.