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b'The power to pardon criminals or commute their sentences is one of the most sacred and absolute a president has, and President Trump has already used it to rescue political allies and answer the pleas of celebrities.\\n\\nWith his term coming to an end, the president has discussed granting three of his children, his son-in-law and personal lawyer pre-emptive pardons \\u2014 a rarity in American history.\\xa0\\xa0\\n\\nWe look ahead to a potential wave of pardons and commutations \\u2014 and explore who could benefit.\\xa0\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nGuest: Michael S. Schmidt, a Washington correspondent for The New York Times.\\xa0\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nWe want to hear from you. Fill out our survey about The Daily and other shows at: nytimes.com/thedailysurvey\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nFor an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Read the latest edition here\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nBackground reading:\\xa0Speculation about pardon activity at the White House is churning furiously, underscoring how much the Trump administration has been dominated by investigations and criminal prosecutions of people in the president\\u2019s orbit.The president\\u2019s pardoning of Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser, signals the prospect of a wave of pardons and commutations in his final weeks in office.\\xa0\\n\\n\\nFor more information on today\\u2019s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily'