After all, would Dowd really float pardons for Flynn and Manafort if he didn't think Trump would follow through? It wouldn't even be surprising to see Trump fess up and say publicly that he has considered Flynn and Manafort pardons — despite the past denials. So maybe a Flynn pardon would be a legitimately personal decision. Dowd was freelancingThis might actually be the worst explanation, legally speaking, given that some believe a president's pardon power is absolute. The idea that Dowd would go to Flynn and Manafort and have a pardon discussion that Trump himself hadn't sanctioned — i.e.

Source: Washington Post March 28, 2018 19:57 UTC