Tuesday, January 12, 2021

He'll make everybody sorry

Prior to Wednesday, the president and his advisers had been discussing a self-pardon -- something that would be both historic and untested in American history -- in the wake of a phone call with Trump and Georgia election officials that was made public. The sources say if the president were to self-pardon, it would only strengthen the motivation to bring civil cases against the 45th president.

As ABC News previously reported, sources tell ABC News White House Counsel Pat Cipollone advised the president that he could face legal jeopardy for encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol building, according to sources familiar with their discussions.

After these conversations, sources say the president grew angrier, and the entire pardon process has been described as "on hold" -- meaning others who have been lobbying the president for pardons, including his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, may not receive one.

  ABC News
I'm not sure Rudy can get any further up Trump's ass in order to pull out a pardon. But I am sure he'll try.

Also, I'm willing to bet Ivanka will get a pardon.  And she might cajole Daddy into giving one to Jared.  Pretty sure Junior can just suck it if Trump decides not to give out pardons if he can't have one.
Peter Weber Tue, January 12, 2021, 1:09 AM CST If you were hoping for a last-minute pardon from President Trump, ABC News' Jonathan Karl has some bad news for you.

[...]

"The president has been warned [...] by some of his lawyers that if he goes ahead and pardons himself, he could be more vulnerable to civil lawsuits, including from some of those injured in the Capitol riot, because a self-pardon would be seen as an admission that he did something wrong that he would need to be pardoned for," Karl said. "The president is angry, he has not taken that well, and I am told that he is now saying that he doesn't want to see pardons for anybody. So the attitude seems to be: 'If I can't get a pardon, then nobody else should get one, either.'"

[...]

It isn't clear Trump actually has the authority to pardon himself — no president has ever tried — but White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and other advisers have explained to Trump that even if he could insulate himself from federal criminal charges, he could still be sued, ABC News reports. "Think O.J.," one adviser reportedly told Trump, referring to O.J. Simpson paying steep civil damages after he was acquitted of murder. Following these conversations, ABC News says, the entire pardon process has been put "on hold."

[...]

The PGA's decision to drop his New Jersey golf course from hosting the 2022 PGA Championship "is a big blow to Donald Trump," Karl confirmed. "I am told that the president is livid about this."

  Yahoo
I bet he is. That's his last remaining prize. ...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

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