When reporters outside the White House asked President Biden about possibly pardoning Trump, his response was not surprising.
Biden smiled, chuckled, and turned toward the South Lawn before boarding Marine One.
His response seemed to dismiss the idea of granting a pardon to his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. Fox News reporter Peter Doocy raised the question in response to recent statements by GOP candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who revealed his consideration of pardoning Trump should he assume the presidency. DeSantis, viewed as one of Trump’s main rivals for the 2024 GOP nomination, pledged to evaluate the possibility of pardoning Trump and those involved in the January 6 riot if the former president were convicted of a federal crime.
In an interview on the “Clay and Buck” radio show, DeSantis revealed his plans to form a team on his first day in office to scrutinize cases involving people he believes were targeted or subject to political manipulation, promising a proactive stance in issuing pardons.
During his presidential campaign in 2020, Biden committed not to follow the example of former President Richard Nixon’s pardon by former President Gerald Ford. In a virtual town hall in May 2015, Biden said that he would not pardon Trump under similar circumstances.
Trump faces multiple charges from a New York grand jury, including over 30 counts of falsifying business records. Presidential pardons do not apply to state or local prosecutions. Furthermore, Special Counsel Jack Smith, recently appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is overseeing investigations into Trump’s alleged illegal retention of national defense information and obstruction of that investigation. Smith is also examining the former president’s involvement in the January 6 assault on the US Capitol.
As these investigations continue, there is still a possibility that Trump may face federal charges. President Biden’s stance suggests he is not inclined to intervene with a pardon for his predecessor, allowing the legal processes to proceed uninhibited.
