NBC News HOT TAKE: Watergate Lawyer Says Biden Should Pardon Trump — And Democrats Should Like It!
Watergate-era House Judiciary Committee counsel Michael Conway has penned the hottest of takes for NBC News THINK, arguing that President-elect Joe Biden should pardon President Donald Trump — and Democrats should welcome it.
The column — entitled “Why Biden should pardon Trump — and we Democrats should want him to” — is literally featured in the “HOT TAKE” section of the site, which is either a big self-aware move or a monumental failure to keep up with derisive internet lingo.
The argument is, essentially, that a. Trump accepting a pardon would be an admission of guilt; b. Trump could still be prosecuted for state and local crimes; c. such a pardon would insulate Biden from the ugly whiff of political vendetta; and d. It would be a healing gesture that would mollify the 72 million or so people who voted for Trump “despite his misconduct (or the election results).”
The suggestion hasn’t gone over well with blue-check Twitter.
The fuck out.
First, pardon every American ever convicted for weed then let the chips fall for Trump. https://t.co/fEM3RAXES9
— Jeffrey We Voted Out That Gameshow Clown Wright (@jfreewright) November 18, 2020
HELL NO ?????!!!!! What #Trump has done to our country?! He violated every norm, degraded the office, abused his power, and is STILL blocking President Elect Biden from his earned https://t.co/QI4whubST3. 1000% NO???Why Biden should pardon Trump https://t.co/sSelqjxwGd
— Debra Messing✍? (@DebraMessing) November 18, 2020
Maybe hold off until he stops trying to steal the election with these takes? https://t.co/lQkLPbCbyA
— Schooley (@Rschooley) November 18, 2020
This is disgusting. The man has been running around for 4 years calling for Hillary Clinton and others to be sent to prison while he has committed numerous crimes, some caused his impeachment.
Hell NO. https://t.co/iaBnLqhBzD
— Jennifer Hayden (@Scout_Finch) November 18, 2020
Absolutely fucking not. Defeating Donald Trump was only the first step toward saving American democracy. If there are no consequences for breaking the law, Biden creates incentives for future Presidents to break the law even more. https://t.co/adrpLk4Cgg
— Greg (@waltisfrozen) November 18, 2020
Who’s going to tell him? https://t.co/4gMBlPtxeK pic.twitter.com/3hiRI3Hk2W
— Tommy X-TrumpIsARacist-opher (@tommyxtopher) November 18, 2020
My whole life I’ve been told that in the US, nobody is above the law.
What absolute malarkey. If Donald Trump and those under him get off after 4 years of criminal behavior that threatens our very democracy, everything about this country is a lie. Corruption wins. https://t.co/iaBnLq00b3
— Jennifer Hayden (@Scout_Finch) November 18, 2020
Nope. Nope nope nope. https://t.co/q8f40wSNYv
— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) November 17, 2020
NBC has yet to run my Op/Ed: “90% of U.S. political pundits should be fired into the sun” https://t.co/nnr16DHY7l
— Karl Bode (@KarlBode) November 18, 2020
There is no “unifying America,” so how about we actually act like laws matter and no one — including the president — is above the law. https://t.co/862xnCBtsQ
— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) November 18, 2020
Conway actually did note Biden’s previous promise not to pardon Trump, but reasons that “Biden’s pledge was made before the closeness of our election revealed how many Americans wanted Trump to remain in office despite his misconduct (or the election results). Clearly, a Biden administration investigation, let alone the prosecution, of Trump could well make the former president even more of a martyr to his millions of followers, fuel a further escalation of the existing partisan divisions and even lead to civil unrest.”
That argument, however, also sounds a lot like a reward for any leader with a fanatical following that might just tip over into violence if displeased. Tomato, tomahto.
Mehdi Hasan and Kevin Kruse humored Conway at great length on Tuesday night’s edition of Hasan’s eponymous Peacock show, which you can watch above via Peacock.
