Trump was talked out of pardoning himself at the last minute, with lawyers saying it would make him look guilty and possibly open up more legal issues

• CNN reported that President Donald Trump recently had to be talked out of pardoning his family.
• Trump was also said to be told a self-pardon might not work while making him look guilty.
• Trump agreed but was disappointed, a source told CNN.

President Donald Trump was talked out of issuing preemptive pardons for himself and members of his family, as well as clemency for Republicans involved in the rally that precipitated the Capitol breach, during an hours-long meeting with lawyers and advisors on Saturday, CNN reported.

The White House counsel, Pat Cipollone, is said to have told Trump that a self-pardon was unlikely to hold up in court and would give the appearance of guilt - possibly opening Trump up to further legal issues in the future - according to CNN.

Trump's lawyers and advisors also said that granting clemency to Republican lawmakers involved in the "Save America" rally on January 6 could lead to Senate Republicans turning on him in his impeachment trial, CNN reported.

Trump agreed with Cipollone but was disappointed with the outcome, CNN reported. A source also told the outlet that Trump was left "spooked" by the conversation.

Read more: Here's how Biden will demolish Trump's legacy

Since Trump lost the 2020 election, a frequent topic of speculation was whether he would issue preemptive pardons for himself and members of his family to shield against any criminal charges that might be brought after his term.

A preemptive pardon would cover actions that already took place but had not yet resulted in prosecution. It's unclear whether presidents have the constitutional authority to pardon themselves.

Trump has used his pardoning power often since losing the election. Late Tuesday, his final full day in office, he granted 73 pardons and 70 commutations.

Among those who received pardons since November are several of his associates, including Paul Manafort and Roger Stone. On Tuesday he also pardoned his former advisor Steve Bannon, with whom he had previously fallen out.

It's possible that Trump will issue more pardons, since he retains the executive power until noon Wednesday.