Staff Reports
In a recent interview, Sen. Mitt Romney suggested that he believes President Biden could have and should have pardoned former President Donald Trump and urged state prosecutors not to pursue their cases against Trump. Romney, a Republican from Utah who has been critical of Trump in the past, argued that such a pardon would have spared the nation from the trials and could have been politically beneficial for President Biden.
Romney pointed out that the ongoing New York hush-money trial is rallying Republicans around Trump and allowing him to portray himself as a victim, which he believes could benefit Trump politically. He suggested that by pardoning Trump, Biden would have demonstrated strength and magnanimity, positioning himself as the bigger person and Trump as the smaller one.
Biden should have ‘immediately’ pardoned Trump, Sen. Mitt Romney sayshttps://t.co/03jCd8KPcg pic.twitter.com/NPqs4YyXYG
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) May 17, 2024
However, it’s important to note that presidents can only issue pardons in federal cases. This means that while Biden could pardon Trump for federal crimes, such as election-overturn conspiracy charges and mishandling documents, he would not have power over state cases in Georgia and New York, which accuse Trump of conspiring to overturn the state’s election and business fraud related to payments to a porn star. Despite the limitations, Romney referenced President Lyndon B. Johnson as an example of a leader who could influence prosecutors and prevent cases from moving forward.
Romney’s suggestion to pardon Trump echoes the historical example of President Gerald Ford issuing a pardon to President Richard M. Nixon to avoid putting the country through the trauma of a trial and to provide closure to the Watergate scandal. The senator’s position is notable considering his previous votes to convict Trump in both impeachment trials, including the first-ever vote by a senator of the president’s own party to convict him.
Overall, Romney’s remarks highlight the ongoing discussions around the legal challenges facing former President Trump and the potential implications of presidential pardons.
