Pardon Me
Just when one thinks it can't get any stranger, who would have thought that in the last weeks of President Biden's presidency and the first day of President Trump's 2nd presidency, that together they would issue 1539 pardons (39 Biden and 1500 Trump) and 4003 commutations (3989 Biden and 14 Trump)? Although pardons and commutations were to be expected and for the most part, have been largely justified over the years, suddenly these two presidents have started a presidential arms race that has some pretty serious consequences for our future unless somehow Congress/Supreme Court gets involved and put some limits on then.
What really blows my mind is President Biden's rational for pardoning members of his staff and the January 6th investigation committee after arguing earlier to the Supreme Court about the dangers of granting Presidents immunity saying it would make them more "willing to push the boundaries of the law." I would argue that now being able to grant your entire staff, friends and family a full pardon for as far back as you can justify (back to Biden's time as Vice President in the President Obama administration) is an even more egregious use of immunity powers far beyond the scope of what the Supreme Court considered. President Biden opened up pandora's box and I certainly expect Trump to now tell his entire staff, friends and family to do everything in their power, legally and illegally to carry out his agenda and he can just pardon them on the way out the door four years from now.
Geesh!
Focusing on Biden when Trump pardoned the jolly J6 gang is a choice. You and I know why he did it. I agree it’s a really pathetic thing, but the American situation is a complete mess.
ReplyDeleteI think Trump's pardon of the J6 gang is atrocious, but it doesn't set such a dangerous precedent as an outgoing president pardoning staff for crimes they didn't commit. I understand the reasons Biden did it and he probably did save some of those pardoned grief from extended witch hunts. I just think it opens up a door we probably didn't need opened and sets the stage for Trump or future presidents to give staff carte blanche to do illegal things with a promised pardon on the way out the door.
DeleteWe knew no good could come from these two presidents. What next, I wonder.
DeleteI think it easier to predict the next winner of the Superbowl (Chiefs) than to answer what will be next in our political realm.
DeleteTime to bury my head in the sand and not know anything. Go Chiefs!
ReplyDeleteI do that at times myself.
DeleteAs I wrote on my Substack, Ed, the POTUS enjoys some pretty sweeping powers of pardon and clemency granted under the Constitution. Don't look for that to change, and do look for presidents to continue to abuse it and weaponize it politically.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm afraid of Bob.
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