As far as I can see, it didn't slow Mueller down one iota.

Mueller may well bring state charges against any perps he can and prosecute those first. That may run until trump is no longer in a position to pardon anyone.

Sides that, who is going to trust trump to pardon? He lies.

unless it's a state charge that takes him down

spend the rest of his life in a Pennsylvania prison for conspiracy to committ kidnapping among other things. Manafort will do the same in a NY prison for basically the same stuff he is charged with now. Just not in a cushy minimum security Fed vacility.

This is the way he handles rage, by acting in the most obnoxious way possible.

If he had any balls, he would have pardoned Cohen.

Got his traitor buddy off the hook first thing after taking the job. That's probably pretty smart considering how quickly Trump's people turn over.

George HW pardoned a bunch in his first year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_pardoned_by_George_H._W._Bush

Trump is actually kind of behind in this area. Probably because he's too busy tweeting and golfing.

I'm sure he had promised all those creeps he'd pardon them-- for a price, probably

Sleazy and inexcusable