- President Donald Trump retweeted an entry on Wednesday in which MP Matt Gaetz called on the President to grant pardon.
- “President Trump should grant grace to Flynn, the Thanksgiving turkey, and everyone, from himself, through his administrator to Joe Exotic, if necessary,” Gaetz tweeted.
- It has been suggested that Trump may indeed grant grace to himself before he leaves office.
- Although he has not been charged with crimes, he faces a number of investigations into his business practices.
- Visit the Business Insider website for more news.
President Donald Trump reiterated an ally of a GOP who called on him to pardon “himself” and potentially several members of his administration before leaving office.
Florida spokesman Matt Gaetz said Wednesday: “President Trump must grant grace to Flynn, the Thanksgiving turkey, and everyone, from himself to his administrator, Joe Exotic, if he has to.”
These words echoed what Gaetz said in an interview with Fox News that day.
“The thirst of the left will only subside if only those who fought @ realDonaldTrump to deliver for the American people come,” he continued.
-Repeat. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 25, 2020
Since Trump’s defeat in the U.S. election, there has been speculation that he could take an unprecedented move and pardon him before he leaves office in January.
Trump has not been charged with any crime, but will face a series of investigations as he leaves the White House, including a criminal investigation into the case of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
Presidential grace only protects you from a federal investigation, not from investigations by jurisdictions like New York.
The possibility that the president may try to excuse himself beforehand has sparked a debate among scholars as to whether the move would be constitutional.
Some legal experts believe the Supreme Court would annul it.
The only other president to receive grace was Richard Nixon, whom he received from his successor, Gerald Ford, in 1974 after resigning from the Watergate scandal.
In his remarks, Gaetz appeared to refer to a New York Times report that Trump made a pardon decision to his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who admitted he lied to FBI agents about his relationship with Russian officials.
Contrary to Gaetz’s claim, President-elect Joe Biden has stated he does not intend to use the Department of Justice to continue the investigation against Trump.
In its report, The Times noted the speculation that the president would issue a series of pardons for former assistants.
The Times also reported that Trump was lobbied for mercy by the lawyers of Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic, who is serving a prison sentence and was the subject of the hit Netflix documentary “Tiger King.”
Presidents have traditionally reserved their pardon rights for criminals who are considered victims of abortion.
But Trump has been accused of protecting the Allies from punishment.
In July, the president pardoned former adviser Roger Stone, who had been convicted of crimes in connection with the Russian investigation.
