A pre-inauguration pardon
The most likely scenario could be that Trump would receive a pardon or a commutation of his sentence right before Inauguration Day. The whole prospect of a president being sworn into office while also behind bars is no less than a national embarrassment and even a constitutional crisis that government officials might decide to avoid.
When President Gerald Ford decided to issue a pardon to former President Richard Nixon in September 1974, this is what he stated: “My conscience dictates clearly that I cannot prolong the bad dreams that keep on reopening a chapter that’s closed.
My conscience also tells me that only I, as president, have the constitutional power to firmly shut and seal this book. My conscience also tells me it is my duty, not merely to proclaim domestic tranquility but also to use every means that I have to ensure it.”
Well, as it turned out, the pardon damaged Ford’s hopes of winning the presidency in his own right. However, he believed the self-sacrifice was worth it to restore some kind of normalcy after the Watergate scandal.
The political costs involved in pardoning Trump are also likely to be quite severe, but the national benefit of not inaugurating an inmate is probably greater than that of turning the page on Nixon.
However, Trump’s criminal liability is way more intricate than Nixon’s. President Joe Biden could easily pardon Trump for his alleged federal crimes. Biden’s authority in this matter is plenary, but if he doesn’t win in November, it expires at noon on Inauguration Day.
If Biden decides to act at all, it might seem wiser to do so right after the election rather than letting the situation completely draw out. However, Biden has virtually no power to pardon Trump for his alleged state crimes. Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, also doesn’t have the needed authority to pardon Trump of any convictions that Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis could win.
The Georgia Constitution gives the pardon decision to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, which is made up of five members, all of whom are appointed by Republican governors.
4 Responses
he needs to be in prison
Do you believe the Biden Crime Family shouldn’t go to prison too?
I hope you believe the Biden Crime Family should go to prison too? Biden doesn’t believe he can win fairly, so he uses democrat judges and prosecutors to help him win the election. That is really sad.
you must be Democrate. What a shame that you cannot be neutral. That really comes through with you article? It also seems you are very angry. It shows.