Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Handing out party favors

In addition to awards like the medal of freedom (see previous post), Trump is gifting pardon offers.
President Trump isn't just accepting pardon requests but blindly discussing them "like Christmas gifts" to people who haven't even asked, sources with direct knowledge of the conversations told Axios.

Trump recently told one adviser he was going to pardon "every person who ever talked to me," suggesting an even larger pardon blitz to come.

  Axios
Of course he didn't mean it. What he meant is "every person who praised me."
The president relishes his unilateral authority to issue get-out-of-jail-free cards. Lately, though, he's been soliciting recipients, asking friends and advisers who they think he should pardon.

Trump has also interrupted conversations to spontaneously suggest that he add the person he's speaking with to his pardon list, these sources said.

The offers haven't always been welcome.

One source felt awkward because the president was clearly trying to be helpful but the adviser didn't believe they had committed any crimes.

The adviser also believed being on the list could hurt their public persona.
I should think so. That would be hysterical, though.
Trump argues the preemptive pardons may be necessary because the Biden administration will target his former aides, the sources say.

President-elect Biden has said he doesn't want to pursue the Trump team, and he has vowed an apolitical Justice Department.
...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

No comments: