The Pardon

The Politics of Presidential Mercy

By: Jeffrey Toobin

Narrated by: Jeffrey Toobin

“A splendid narrative about political power and mercy.” —David Grann, #1 bestselling author of The Wager

The power of the presidential pardon has our national attention now more than ever before. This “thought-provoking and strenuously argued” (The Washington Post) book from New York Times bestselling author and CNN legal commentator Jeffrey Toobin provides a timely and compelling narrative of the most controversial presidential pardon in American history—Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon, revealing the profound implications for our current political landscape, and how it is already affecting the legacies of both Presidents Biden and Trump.

In this deeply reported book, Toobin explores why the Founding Fathers gave the power of pardon to the President and recreates the behind-the-scenes political melodrama during the tumultuous period around Nixon’s resignation. The story features a rich cast of characters, including Alexander Haig, Nixon’s last chief of staff, who pushed for the pardon, and a young Justice Department lawyer named Antonin Scalia, who provided the legal justification.

Ford’s shocking decision to pardon Nixon was widely criticized at the time, yet it has since been reevaluated as a healing gesture for a divided country. But Toobin argues that Ford’s pardon was an unwise gift to an undeserving recipient and an unsettling political precedent. The Pardon explores those that followed: Jimmy Carter’s amnesty for Vietnam draft resisters, Bill Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich, and the extraordinary story of Trump’s unprecedented pardons at the end of his first term.

“A master class on a power wielded by presidents for more than 200 years” (The Guardian), The Pardon is a must-read for anyone interested in American history, the complex dynamics of power within the highest office in the nation, and the implications of presidential mercy.

Critic reviews

"Legal journalist Toobin, author and narrator, examines the history, meaning, and ongoing significance of the presidential pardon. A longtime CNN legal analyst and prolific author, he is an effective narrator whose tone and style sound like a historian’s. The central story—but by no means the only one—is the September 1974 pardon of Richard Nixon by President Gerald Ford. Toobin, who has done exhaustive research, argues that the pardon was a mistake that damaged Ford’s reputation and may have cost him a very close election. Toobin points out that Bill Clinton’s pardon of his brother and Biden’s of his son were both egregious, and that Trump’s pardons of the January 6th rioters has demeaned this presidential prerogative."

Solid Toobin

Is this Toobin's best book? No. But its Toobin and if you liked his other book you'll like this. Also, it's well suited for the audiobook format.

Toobin should stick to Zoom meetings

Toobin covers the details of Watergate fairly well. The book is ruined every time he inserts his sophistic, simplistic opinions.