What authority does a President have regarding pardons?

The correct answer is that the President can grant pardons for federal offenses, except in cases of impeachment. This authority is rooted in the U.S. Constitution, specifically Article II, Section 2, which grants the President the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States. This power is significant because it allows the President to forgive individuals for federal crimes, providing an avenue for mercy and justice that can supersede judicial decisions.

This authority, however, is limited in the context of impeachment, where the Constitution does not permit the pardon power to extend to those who have been impeached and removed from office. In this way, the Founding Fathers built a safeguard against potential abuses of power that could arise from a President pardoning themselves or officials involved in future misconduct.

The other options present misunderstandings of the presidential pardon power. The notion that the President can issue pardons for any crime at will overlooks the constitutional limitation concerning impeachment. The idea that the President can grant pardons only after a trial is also misleading, as pardons can be granted before or after a legal proceeding has taken place. Lastly, the assertion that the President cannot grant pardons is incorrect, given this specific constitutional authority.