If Trump wants to pardon Roger Stone, go for it. It won’t gain Trump a single 2020 vote (his base is already voting for him). It would give Trump’s opponent an easy narrative to campaign on.
New York would just nail Stone on state charges; he has a part time residence there.
New York would just nail Stone on state charges; he has a part time residence there.
Pardoning Stone could also trigger a court battle over whether a president can pardon his own co-conspirators, which could result in Trump being blocked from pardoning himself and his kids on his way out the door. It’s likely a big part of why Trump never pardoned Manafort.
There are only two reasons Trump would pardon Stone:
- Trump doesn’t want Stone spitefully revealing the dirtiest secrets from their forty years of friendship
- Trump is too addled to undersrand that pardoning Stone would severely damage his already-weak 2020 prospects
- Trump doesn’t want Stone spitefully revealing the dirtiest secrets from their forty years of friendship
- Trump is too addled to undersrand that pardoning Stone would severely damage his already-weak 2020 prospects
Who knows if Trump is desperate/stupid enough to do it. He’s certainly unraveling this week.
But if any pundit suggests that pardoning Stone will somehow put Trump on a magical path to winning in 2020, that pundit should fall through a trap door. It’s histrionic nonsense.
But if any pundit suggests that pardoning Stone will somehow put Trump on a magical path to winning in 2020, that pundit should fall through a trap door. It’s histrionic nonsense.
