The first you should always look for in a "Biden should pardon Trump" thinkpiece is whether the author acknowledges that presidents cannot pardon people for violations of state law. If they do not, the rest of the piece isn't worth reading.
Carli Pierson does not. Keep moving.
Carli Pierson does not. Keep moving.
https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1325135133452738565
We're going to be seeing a LOT of these in the next few months, with the premise that if Biden doesn't pardon, it'll "put Trump in front of the news cameras for the next four years, battling potential criminal and civil charges." But a federal pardon does nothing to prevent that.
Richard Nixon wasn't facing prosecution in state courts, so Ford's pardon—for better or worse—closed the book on his legal exposure. But that's not an outcome that Biden has the power to bring about.
Donald Trump is under investigation in multiple states, and is very likely to face criminal charges as a result. Because Biden can't prevent that, the "national healing" case for a Trump pardon is incoherent.
If the op-ed you're reading acknowledges that obvious fact, read it if you like. Maybe it'll be interesting. But if a quick skim reveals that it does not, it's not worth your time.
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