President Joe Biden has laughed off the idea of pardoning former President Donald Trump for any crimes he may have committed during or after his presidency.[0] The question was posed by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy on Memorial Day, and while no verbal answer was given, Biden’s response was clear – neither Trump nor his associates nor his supporters who rioted at the US Capitol in 2021 will be getting off the hook with his help.[1] Doocy’s question wasn’t entirely out of left field, however, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently said he would consider pardons for those involved in the Capitol insurrection, including Trump, who remains his biggest obstacle in his bid to take Biden’s job next fall.[2] The possibility of pardoning Trump has been a recurring topic since Biden’s campaign for the presidency, with the president committing to a different course of action than Gerald Ford, who pardoned Richard Nixon after Watergate, should a similar issue arise with Trump.[3] Biden has stated that on day one, he will have individuals review cases of people who have been victims of weaponisation or political targeting and will be aggressive in issuing pardons. DeSantis, on the other hand, has said that he will have individuals who will review cases of individuals who are victims of weaponisation or political targeting, with pardons being issued on a case-by-case basis.[4] He has also said that any example of disfavored treatment based on politics or weaponisation would be included in that review.[4]
0. “Biden Has Priceless Response To Fox News Question On Possible Trump Pardon” HuffPost, 30 May. 2023, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-trump-pardon_n_64753701e4b0a7554f403477
1. “Joe Biden Can’t Help but Laugh When Asked About Pardoning Donald Trump” The Daily Beast, 29 May. 2023, https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-biden-cant-help-but-laugh-when-asked-about-pardoning-donald-trump
2. “Video of Joe Biden’s Response to Potential Trump Pardon Viewed 1M Times” Newsweek, 30 May. 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/video-joe-bidens-response-potential-trump-pardon-viewed-1m-times-1803209
3. “Biden (literally) laughs off question about possible Trump pardon” MSNBC, 30 May. 2023, https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/biden-literally-laughs-question-possible-trump-pardon-rcna86783
4. “Biden smirks and laughs when asked about potential pardon for Trump” New York Post , 30 May. 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/05/29/biden-smirks-and-laughs-when-asked-about-potential-pardon-for-trump/
