I don’t think the framers anticipated that a lunatic would a) be elected and b) would use it to prod unrepententant criminals many of whom are his mates.

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April 12, 2026 - 10:23 UTC

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The power was modelled on the British monarch’s "royal prerogative of mercy,”; not a great precedent but the framers saw that law enforcement could be random in 1788, sometimes blind and could be unfeeling, potentially punishing those less able to defend themselves alongside the truly guilty. 3/4
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Hamilton was particularly keen that the pardon be included to cover such cases. A great believer in checks and balances, he saw it as a check on excessive legal harshness.

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