On today's chart 977K views since yesterday

Blumenthal tells Legal AF why pardons won't stop congressional investigations

The former Clinton White House aide joins Michael Popok to examine Trump's remaining powers after Democratic gains, in a conversation drawing nearly a million views since yesterday.

Channel:

Legal AF Story of November 6, 2026Trari Newsroom

No. 35 on the daily chart

Why this story? One of the most watched videos since yesterday, with 976,886 views.

Trump EXPOSED as the Size of the Democratic Landslide ruins his “Veto” and “Pardon” Strategy!!!

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

2:00Blumenthal compares Trump's position with Clinton's midterms and other historical presidential setbacks.
4:36Blumenthal attributes Republican losses to broken promises on war and inflation and insufficient congressional checks.
8:04Popok examines pardons and executive privilege, arguing that pardons can complicate recipients' Fifth Amendment protections.
9:00Blumenthal anticipates Republican divisions involving potential presidential contenders Vance, Rubio and Cruz.
10:33Popok outlines prospective House investigations; Blumenthal points to January 3 as the start of Democrats' committee power.

A presidential pardon can protect its recipient from punishment, but Sidney Blumenthal argues it cannot close down congressional scrutiny. That distinction is at the center of his Legal AF conversation with Michael Popok about Donald Trump's response to the midterm results.

"A pardon power will not save him from investigations," Blumenthal says. The interview drew roughly 977,000 views since yesterday, taking a discussion of presidential powers well beyond a narrow legal audience.

Where Popok's earlier oversight discussion focused on hearings before impeachment, as we reported here, this exchange examines the defenses Trump might use against a Democratic Congress: vetoes, pardons and executive privilege. Popok argues that pardons can also complicate a recipient's ability to invoke the Fifth Amendment over the conduct covered by them. The discussion's central distinction is between blocking legislation and preventing lawmakers from investigating.

Blumenthal brings experience from another White House under congressional pressure. He recalls serving during Bill Clinton's second term, contrasting the political circumstances of Clinton's midterms with Trump's. His explanation for Republican losses centers on what he describes as broken promises about war and inflation, alongside a lack of congressional checks on the president.

The conversation then turns toward potential Republican presidential contenders and the investigations Popok expects House Democrats, including Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia, to pursue. Blumenthal identifies the arrival of the new Congress as the practical turning point: "The key date, Michael, is January 3rd. And the second they're sworn in, they get the gavel, and they go to work."

Published on Trari