What are the pardon and clemency totals for Barack Obama and Joe Biden through their presidencies so far?
Executive summary
Barack Obama granted 1,927 acts of clemency during his eight years in office, including 1,715 commutations, according to available reporting [1]. Joe Biden’s four-year presidency produced far larger totals: reporting compiled through January 2025 lists roughly 4,245 clemency actions — about 80 pardons plus 4,165 commutations — and other outlets report single-day mass commutations that pushed his totals above 4,000 and, by some counts cited in the press, into the multiple-thousands range [2] [3] [4].
1. A quick numbers picture: Obama vs. Biden
Barack Obama’s clemency record is documented as 1,927 total actions over two terms, with 1,715 commutations making up the large majority of that total [1]. Joe Biden’s record through January 2025 is far larger in raw acts of clemency: Pew’s tabulation reports 4,165 commutations and 80 pardons for a total of 4,245 acts of clemency over four years [2]. Multiple news outlets also reported Biden’s mass January 2025 actions — including commutations for roughly 2,490 individuals on one list from the White House — that substantially increased his totals [4] [3].
2. Why the tallies differ so much: policy choices, proclamations, and batch actions
The disparity reflects differences in how each president used clemency. Obama concentrated many commutations late in his second term and built a substantial total over eight years [1]. Biden emphasized large, categorical actions — for example pardons by proclamation for broad groups (marijuana-possession cases, some military convictions) and large commutation batches in January 2025 — producing thousands of individual actions at once [2] [4] [3]. Reporting notes Biden’s use of proclamations and mass lists as central to the higher totals [2] [4].
3. What counts as an “act of clemency” in these counts
News organizations and researchers count pardons, commutations, and similar executive actions as “acts of clemency.” Pew’s analysis explicitly sums pardons and commutations to reach Biden’s 4,245 figure [2]. The White House’s January 2025 commutation list names 2,490 individuals in a single action, which media cite as part of Biden’s totals [4]. Sources present cumulative tallies rather than a single uniform government chart combining every category, so aggregation choices matter [2] [4].
4. Disagreements in the press and larger totals reported
Some outlets cited even higher totals for Biden as other categorical pardons and later actions were added; one international wire story put a larger figure — more than 8,000 clemency actions — in headline form, though that piece aggregates different items and contextual history [1]. The Pew Research Center’s January/February 2025 analysis is a primary, methodical source underpinning the 4,245 number and notes its reliance on Justice Department records accessed in late January 2025 [2]. Differences among outlets reflect timing, counting conventions and inclusion of proclamation-based pardons.
5. Political context and controversies that color the numbers
Biden’s late-term mass pardons and use of proclamations generated political controversy, including scrutiny over pardoning high-profile figures and use of the autopen for signature warrants — disputes covered in multiple news accounts [3] [5] [6]. Axios and NPR reported criticism and praise tied to Biden’s clemency choices; coverage notes concerns about precedent, fairness and political optics alongside praise from criminal-justice reform advocates [7] [3]. Sources also describe Republican-led inquiries and partisan framing of certain pardons [6] [8].
6. Limitations, sourcing and what is not settled in reporting
Available sources give clear numeric snapshots but vary by cut-off date and counting rules. Pew’s 4,245 figure is explicit and methodical for actions through late January 2025 [2]. The White House lists and media stories document large single-day lists [4] [3]. Claims of much larger totals (for example, 8,064) appear in some wire reporting but reflect different aggregations and deserve cautious treatment [1]. Available sources do not mention a single, definitive federal database reconciling every clemency category in real time beyond Justice Department and White House releases; therefore differences across outlets reflect timing and methodology [2] [4].
7. Bottom line for readers
If you measure by acts counted by Pew through late January 2025, Biden issued roughly 4,245 acts of clemency in four years versus Obama’s 1,927 over eight years [2] [1]. Multiple news outlets corroborate that Biden’s final-term mass commutations and proclamations are the primary drivers of his higher total, and reporting highlights both reformist intent and political pushback [4] [3] [7]. Where outlets diverge, it reflects different cutoffs and counting choices; readers should compare methodology notes in each source before equating every headline number [2] [1].