Conservative groups influential with the Trump administration have pressed for the preemptive acts of clemency.
There’s a world of difference between a pardon issues to prevent malicious prosecution for non-crimew and one issued to people you’ve been instructing to commit crimes
They’re asking Trump to give preemptive pardons.
The problem is if Democrats gain enough seats to hold Trump accountable he’s going to blame everyone else and won’t want to pardon them as punishment for failing him.