Could Donald Trump Pardon Josh Duggar? Jim Bob Reportedly Hopes So

The following contains references to child sexual abuse.

Former reality star Josh Duggar is doing time in federal prison following his conviction on charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. Ever since then, his parents have been doing all they can to clear his name. Convinced her oldest son is innocent of the heinous crimes, mom Michelle Duggar wrote a letter to the sentencing judge pleading for leniency. It didn't work. Nor did his legal team's attempts to get a new trial. But the senior Duggars appear to be holding out hope that incoming president Donald Trump could, to coin a phrase, Make Josh Free Again.

This all started with a very different rumor surrounding other members of the "19 Kids & Counting" family. On Christmas Day 2024, James Duggar posted photos of his parents' annual party on Instagram. Among the pics was one that showed dad Jim Bob Duggar sitting next to his daughter Jill Duggar Dillard — also featured on "19 Kids & Counting" — and her husband Derick. It was a shocking sight, considering the Dillards have been estranged from Jim Bob for years. Some fans saw this as a sign of reconciliation ("So glad to see Jill and Derrick [sic] there!!" was one response), and so did the tabloids. Katie Joy of the Without a Crystal Ball vlog, on the other hand, was infuriated at what she thought was hypocrisy on the Dillards' part and said so online. 

But Derick himself reached out to Joy to set the record straight. That picture, he explained, was anything but an image of a happy reunion. He and Jim Bob had been arguing over how much power a president has to grant pardons under constitutional law. "My understanding here is that Jim Bob believes that Trump is going to be able to pardon Josh," Joy explained on YouTube. 

What appeared to be a healing meeting between the Dillards and Jim Bob Duggar was actually an unpleasant five-minute debate over the possibility of Donald Trump issuing a presidential pardon to disgraced brother Josh. Derick Dillard explained to Katie Joy that his father-in-law seemed to think he knew more about the law than Derick, the actual lawyer. "He said that [Jim Bob] is so arrogant, it makes him sick," Joy said in her vlog. "He says he now understands exactly where Josh got his arrogance." 

Derick felt compelled to deny the rumors that he and Jill are on good terms with her dad after years of trauma and hurt. Jill's memoir, "Counting the Cost," alleged that Jim Bob withheld her share of the earnings from the shows, and worse, prioritized Josh's reputation over her own well-being. Years earlier, Josh had also molested Jill and several of their sisters, and when the news was made public, Jim Bob pressured a reluctant Jill to defend her brother in a national TV interview. "[Derick is] annoyed that this is now the tagline to the media that the feud is squashed ... when behind that photo is a fight about Josh," Joy said.

It sounds as though Jim Bob may be planning to ask the newly re-inaugurated president to be as merciful to Josh as Joe Biden was to his son Hunter Biden. But even if Trump has that power — which Derick doubts — he may not opt to use it. While the Duggars as a whole are the kind of conservative Christians Trump wooed during his campaign, the candidate also came out strongly against crimes involving child exploitation. Pardoning a convicted offender might cost him some cred with his MAGA base.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).