Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Charles E. Schumer

Democrat on Introductory Statement on S. 5212 2026-08-03

305 words · 17 sentences · 27 clauses

Statement grade

B–

Average 74 / 100

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Positioning 34%Claims 42%Procedure 11%Reasoning 9%The ask 5%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Mr. President, Positioning · 17 wordson the pardons bill, justice is supposed to be blind. Under Donald Trump, justice is for sale.Positioning Claims · 37 wordsToday, I am introducing legislation with Senators Blumenthal, Hirono, Cortez Masto, ¹and Schiff to stop Trump from abusing his pardon power for personal gain. Our No Payoffs for Pardons Act will expose, deter, and prosecute corrupt pardons. Positioning · 37 wordsTrump sees his pardon power as just another opportunity for grift, for graft, or personal profit. The only thing Trump cares about in granting clemency is how much money you have and where do your loyalties lie.Positioning Claims · 25 wordsTrump has wiped the slate clean for thousands of January 6 insurrectionists, Medicare fraudsters, white-collar criminals, ²and other crooks convicted of swindling the American people. Positioning · 15 wordsThe American people always pay the price for Trump’s corruption, Unearned certaintyand pardons are no exception.Positioning Claims · 17 wordsTrump’s pardons have wiped out nearly $2 billion in repayments owed to the victims of these crimes.³ Procedure · 6 wordsIt is the same old grift: ProcedureUnearned certaintyPositioning · 35 wordsTrump picks the pocket of law-abiding Americans to enrich criminals, his cronies, and himself. In Trump’s America, if you have enough money or if you have the President’s ear, then you are above the law.Positioning Claims · 48 wordsOur bill reaffirms that Federal bribery laws apply to the President and that trying to buy your way out of a prison cell is a crime itself.⁴ Our legislation would also require anyone who receives a pardon to disclose financial gifts they made in connection with their clemency.⁵ Reasoning · 26 wordsWe need to bring these corrupt pardons out of the shadows and into the light so that we can stop them for once and for all. Mr. President, The ask · 15 wordsI ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. Procedure · 27 wordsThere being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: ``227A. Financial disclosure reports by recipients of executiveProcedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 52

16 of 18 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “on the pardons bill, justice is supposed to be blind.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Under Donald Trump, justice is for sale.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Trump sees his pardon power as just another opportunity for grift, for graft,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “or personal profit.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “The only thing Trump cares about in granting clemency is how much money you have and where do your loyalties lie.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “The American people always pay the price for Trump’s corruption,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “and pardons are no exception.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “It is the same old grift:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Trump picks the pocket of law-abiding Americans to enrich criminals, his cronies,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “and himself.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “In Trump’s America,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “if you have enough money or if you have the President’s ear, then you are above the law.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record,”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “as follows:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “``227A.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “Financial disclosure reports by recipients of executive”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 96

2 of 18 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “always pay the price”An absolute ‘always’ is asserted without any source or evidence.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “It is the same old grift”A sweeping characterization offered in place of evidence for the claim.

Claims · 5

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“I am introducing legislation with Senators Blumenthal, Hirono, Cortez Masto,”Schumer introduced the pardons bill in the Senate on 2026-08-03 together with Senators Blumenthal, Hirono, Cortez Masto, and Schiff.search
2“Trump has wiped the slate clean for thousands of January 6 insurrectionists,”Trump has pardoned thousands of people convicted in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack.search
3“Trump’s pardons have wiped out nearly $2 billion in repayments owed to the victims of these crimes.”Trump’s pardons have eliminated nearly $2 billion in restitution owed to victims of crimes committed by those pardoned.search
4“Our bill reaffirms that Federal bribery laws apply to the President”The No Payoffs for Pardons Act states that federal bribery laws apply to the President.search
5“require anyone who receives a pardon to disclose financial gifts they made in connection with their clemency.”The No Payoffs for Pardons Act would require pardon recipients to disclose financial gifts made in connection with their clemency.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15