Romney on Pardoning Trump

[Kishkumen]

In a recent interview, Romney expressed regret that Joe Biden didn’t pardon Trump. Pardoning a president for committing crimes that have nothing to do with his official duties is a huge mistake. Ford was wrong to pardon Nixon. At least one can see how it happened. Ford was, after all, a Republican, and Nixon retired because Congressional leaders in his own party urged him to resign.

The age of sanity and decency has ended. Republicans who decried Trump’s assault on our Republic flipped and started to promote the Big Lie. Trump shamelessly presses forward, advertising his authoritarian plans for his second term. Nothing suggests that Trump’s attack on our Republic would have been checked by pardoning the man. The kind of precedent he has set must be swatted down legally and with prejudice. The GOP must be brought back into line and cease being the fascist lapdog of an unhinged psycho.

[Some Schmo]

I honestly don't see how the GOP escapes Trump's thrall before his death. Every GOP politician with a shred of integrity has stepped aside. The rest are simpleminded lickspittles.

[Dr. Shades]

Pardon my ignorance, but doesn’t a conviction have to exist BEFORE it can be pardoned?

[Dr Exiled]

Pardon my ignorance, but doesn’t a conviction have to exist BEFORE it can be pardoned?

No, Nixon wasn't convicted of anything at the time Ford pardoned him. A pardon can be for crimes that someone may have committed.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=67c-I-yt7s0

[Dr Exiled]

Pardoning Trump would be a great political move. It would cement Trump's guilt with a lot of the population without having to go through trials that could have bad results for those pursuing them.

[Kishkumen]

I honestly don't see how the GOP escapes Trump's thrall before his death. Every GOP politician with a shred of integrity has stepped aside. The rest are simpleminded lickspittles.

It is pretty bleak out there. There is Murkowski, but I think she plans to become an Independent.

[Kishkumen]

Pardoning Trump would be a great political move. It would cement Trump's guilt with a lot of the population without having to go through trials that could have bad results for those pursuing them.

Nah. The introduction of the presidential pardon is the first step down the road to the Republic’s end. You can’t hand out preemptive pardons for presidents who break the law. The expectation that the pardon is the only consequence a president who attacks the system itself will face means there is nothing to stop the overthrow of the system. The other side of the coin is to say that anyone should have the right to assassinate a president who aims at tyranny. If we don’t want that, then we should not normalize presidential pardons. Equality under the law is the way.

[Dr Exiled]

Pardoning Trump would be a great political move. It would cement Trump's guilt with a lot of the population without having to go through trials that could have bad results for those pursuing them.

Nah. The introduction of the presidential pardon is the first step down the road to the Republic’s end. You can’t hand out preemptive pardons for presidents who break the law. The expectation that the pardon is the only consequence a president who attacks the system itself will face means there is nothing to stop the overthrow of the system. The other side of the coin is to say that anyone should have the right to assassinate a president who aims at tyranny. If we don’t want that, then we should not normalize presidential pardons. Equality under the law is the way.

These cases were brought based on political calculations, not on any real threat to democracy. I know that's a tough pill to swallow, that one side would use the judicial system politically, but that's what happened and it isn't working out. Romney's advice will prove wise. It would have allowed for people to continue to believe Trump is guilty of whatever without having to show any proof at trial.

[ajax18]

Equality under the law is the way.

If you wanted equality under the law, Biden should be impeached for withholding aid to Israel to not lose votes in Dearborn, Michigan. Biden's age and senility should not be an excuse to avoid prosecution for 50 years of mishandling classified documents. Hillary Clinton should have been charged for mishandling classified documents. You don't want equality under the law. You want to bankrupt and throw people in jail because you disagree with their political platform. You don't want democracy. You want to disenfranchise anyone who doesn't vote the way you do. You are on the side of the tyrannical majority. It is you who is the tyrant.

[Kishkumen]

These cases were brought based on political calculations, not on any real threat to democracy. I know that's a tough pill to swallow, that one side would use the judicial system politically, but that's what happened and it isn't working out. Romney's advice will prove wise. It would have allowed for people to continue to believe Trump is guilty of whatever without having to show any proof at trial.

Of course there is a political calculation in politics. What kind of truth bomb do you imagine you are dropping here? At the same time, Trump is a threat to democracy. If you see no evidence for that in all of his authoritarian posturing and behavior, then I don’t know what to say to you. You obviously refuse to accept reality, heaven knows why.