4GX
Well-known member
There have been numerous rumors about whether Trump plans to issue full presidential pardons for the (many) members of his campaign and "administration" that have been convicted of crimes (e.g.- Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Gen. Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos) or are currently under indictment (e.g.-Steve Bannon); there are also numerous rumors (some originating from Trump himself) that he has plans to pardon himself and/or various members of his family and inner circle (e.g.- Ivan-Ka, Donny Junior, and Eric Trump, Jared Kushner, Allen Weisselberg [CFO of the Trump Organization]) preemptively, to prevent federal prosecution for various alleged crimes (i.e.- tax evasion, obstruction of justice in the Mueller investigation, collaboration with a foreign power in the 2016 campaign, violations of the federal emoluments clause, etc., etc.)...
However, recent debate has centered on whether Trump might (instead) step down before his official term ends, elevating Mike Pence to President-- with the understanding that Pence would then issue presidential pardons to Trump and/or his family/inner circle. I see this as unlikely (at least for Trump's family members/associates)--as Trump, in my view, would be unlikely to want to leave his and/or his family members fate in the hands of someone else. I think it would be more likely that Trump issues pardons for all of his family and associates-- and then leaves ONLY his own pardon in the hands of Pence-- a` la the Richard Nixon/Gerald Ford "arrangement" that took place in 1974...
However, even this seems less likely, to me, than Trump simply trying to issue pardons for himself and all of his family and inner circle-- he does not strike me as somebody who would ever want to leave his fate in somebody else's hands, if he does not have to-- and he has made it clear that he thinks he DOES have the power to pardon himself-- as Trump famously said (about Nixon): "He left; I don't leave."
However, recent debate has centered on whether Trump might (instead) step down before his official term ends, elevating Mike Pence to President-- with the understanding that Pence would then issue presidential pardons to Trump and/or his family/inner circle. I see this as unlikely (at least for Trump's family members/associates)--as Trump, in my view, would be unlikely to want to leave his and/or his family members fate in the hands of someone else. I think it would be more likely that Trump issues pardons for all of his family and associates-- and then leaves ONLY his own pardon in the hands of Pence-- a` la the Richard Nixon/Gerald Ford "arrangement" that took place in 1974...
However, even this seems less likely, to me, than Trump simply trying to issue pardons for himself and all of his family and inner circle-- he does not strike me as somebody who would ever want to leave his fate in somebody else's hands, if he does not have to-- and he has made it clear that he thinks he DOES have the power to pardon himself-- as Trump famously said (about Nixon): "He left; I don't leave."
