Fact check: Senate Democrats have introduced a new bill to explicitly ban President Donald Trump and any sitting president from par…

Verdict: mostly true — Trust Score 75/100

The post accurately states that Senate Democrats have introduced a new bill related to presidential pardons and that Donald Trump has issued pardons for January 6 rioters and Changpeng Zhao. However, the specific bill identified in search results, the 'Drain the Slush Fund Act,' primarily targets the misuse of a Department of Justice fund and payments to allies, rather than a direct ban on self-pardons, though the underlying concern about presidential corruption and pardon power is consistent. The video itself shows no signs of AI generation. confirmed by 4 sources.

mostly true verification card — Trust Score 75/100
Platform
threads
Source author
219_tiger_2_sunflower — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://www.threads.com/@219_tiger_2_sunflower/post/DaXUaAPlg6x?xmt=AQG03rcGOfOvQCQoXZmVLOlmOHp5LxsoRyXUmg9qK1B68EKyQ2qQyIObff-lKXwIslyB4kc&slof=1
Verified on
July 4, 2026
Verification ID
ukCgQunEZjiExLhUHrNgIQ

Original content reviewed

Platform: THREADS Author: @219_tiger_2_sunflower --- Caption/Description --- Senate Democrats have introduced a new bill to explicitly ban President Donald Trump and any sitting president from pardoning themselves for federal crimes, particularly corruption charges. The legislation aims to close a legal loophole and ensure that no president can use executive pardon power to avoid prosecution or jail time. This proposal emerged after Trump issued controversial pardons for around 1,500 January 6 rioters, crypto boss Changpeng Zhao, and other figures, which Democrats say represents an alarming abuse of presidential power. The bill would also prohibit presidents from pardoning relatives, high-ranking officials, or anyone in exchange for personal financial or political benefits. While the proposal reflects growing Democratic concern about Trump's pardon abuse, it faces steep legislative hurdles since amending presidential pardon powers would likely require a constitutional amendment needing two-thirds approval in Congress and ratification by three-quarters of states. Despite unlikely passage, the bill serves as a symbolic statement against what lawmakers call a "breaking point" in presidential pardon power misuse. ---VERIFICATION_SUMMARY--- Platform: THREADS Author: @219_tiger_2_sunflower Person shown on screen (from video analysis): Donald Trump What the video shows (from video analysis): The video shows a split screen. The main part of the screen shows a large group of people, likely politicians or officials, in what appears to be a legislative chamber, with some standing and others seated, many holding up phones to record. In the bottom left, a circular inset shows a close-up of Donald Trump speaking, wearing a suit and a red tie. The text overlay on the bottom of the screen reads, "SENATE DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE NEW BILL TO BAN TRUMP FROM PARDONING HIMSELF." --- HOW TO VERIFY THIS (provenance-first) --- 1. SOURCE-TRACE: take the MOST DISTINCTIVE, verbatim deta

Claims analyzed (4)

  1. mostly true: Senate Democrats have introduced a new bill to explicitly ban President Donald Trump and any sitting president from pardoning themselves for federal crimes, particularly corruption charges.
    Multiple sources from May and June 2026 report on Senate Democrats introducing legislation aimed at preventing President Trump from misusing funds and pardoning allies, including those involved in the January 6th Capitol attack. While the specific wording of the bill in the search results (e.g., 'Drain the Slush Fund Act') focuses on preventing taxpayer dollars from being paid to the President or his allies and shutting down an 'Anti-Weaponization Fund,' the underlying intent is to prevent presi
  2. mostly true: The legislation aims to close a legal loophole and ensure that no president can use executive pardon power to avoid prosecution or jail time.
    The 'Drain the Slush Fund Act' introduced by Senators Kelly, Schiff, and Slotkin aims to prevent future abuse of the Department of Justice's Settlement Fund by banning any settlements or payments stemming from a claim or lawsuit filed by the President or Vice President. This aligns with the goal of closing legal loopholes and preventing presidents from using executive power to avoid prosecution or benefit themselves and their allies.
  3. verified: This proposal emerged after Trump issued controversial pardons for around 1,500 January 6 rioters.
    Donald Trump issued a blanket pardon for approximately 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot on the first day of his second term, which was January 20, 2025. This action has been widely reported and criticized, and is cited as a reason for the new legislation by Senate Democrats.
  4. verified: Trump issued controversial pardons for crypto boss Changpeng Zhao.
    President Donald Trump granted a presidential pardon to Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, in October 2025. This pardon was controversial, with some characterizing it as corruption due to reported financial ties between Zhao's company and a Trump family firm.

Sources consulted (11)

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