The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, as well as of the defense forces of the various States, when called upon to serve the United States; may request the opinion, in writing, of the principal official of each of the executive departments, on any matter relating to the tasks of their respective offices, and will have the power to grant suspensions and pardons for crimes contrary to the United States. States, in cases of impeachment onement.

Despite the breadth of the president’s authority under the pardon clause, the text of the Constitution sets at least two limits on that force: First, pardons would conceivably be granted only for crimes against the United States—i. e. state and federal or state crimes. Civilian attacks are not covered. Second, the force of the president’s pardon will be used in the event of impeachment.