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The power to grant pardons is explicitly enshrined in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, where it states that the President shall have the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. This authority allows the President to forgive federal crimes and eliminate any legal consequences attached to them, but it does not extend to state crimes or pardoning actions taken in impeachment cases.

Federal crimes generally involve violations of laws set by Congress, such as tax evasion or drug trafficking, and are prosecuted in federal courts. Conversely, state crimes involve offenses against state laws and are handled in state courts. Understanding this distinction is key when discussing the implications of presidential pardons.