Thread by @_scottreid

I've riled people with this take before but, I'll state my case again. I sincerely believe Biden should publicly declare that he will pardon Trump should he be convicted of any of the crimes with which he's been charged or is under investigation. With one condition. #TrumpArrest

That condition is that Trump must admit his guilt - on that for which he will have already been found guilty. Don't demand that he forfeit his run for office. Just ask that he admit his crimes - and avoid jail. It's an approach that solves a huge number of challenges #TrumpArrest

First, it strips Trump of his most potent political asset: victimhood. Already, he's shot far ahead of Desantis in GOP polls as partisans rally behind him to denounce the 'witch hunt' by political enemies who are 'weaponizing' the legal system to halt his re-elxn. #TrumpArrest

It's all bullshit, of course. But it's powerful and toxic. It's propping up his candidacy, corroding trust in the institutions of justice and, yet again, dividing America. Don't let him do it. Take the sword out of his hand. #TrumpArrest

By offering the pardon, Trump is robbed of the suggestion his enemies are trying to undermine his candidacy. Or, at the very least, the power of that argument is diluted. Suddenly, he's not being victimized. He's being given a Get Out of Jail Free card. Literally. #TrumpArrest

In this way, it also blunts some of the heat and division that will quickly start to slice apart American society. The imagined motivations of jailing Trump or ending his campaign will be greatly denuded. And it reverses the onus onto Trump - he'll make the choice. #TrumpArrest

On that front, it might be a tougher decision for Trump than we might guess. He'll want to reject the offer as a stunt and declare that he'll never admit guilt. But that undermines his forward ability to argue he's been unjustly targeted. He loses his best argument #TrumpArrest

Also, Trump is a coward. He fears jail. Most likely, he would take the pardon, accept the terms and then argue that his admission of guilt means nothing because he said what he had to say. He might even argue that he 'gamed' Biden by taking his pardon. #TrumpArrest

But I don't think that scenario plays out well for Trump. He can howl but he would be left looking emasculated and weak. Forced to take Biden's charity. Fear of appearing to need the pardon will surely drive him to bark even louder and look even more pathetic. #TrumpArrest

Maybe that will erode his position with GOP primary voters. Probably not. But he'll be diminished. Because if nothing else, it removes his victim narrative. And it definitely will deepen his un-electability in a general. Helping ensure he can't take back the WH #TrumpArrest

Finally, it helps to avoid a genuine constitutional crisis. Trump cannot be seen to operate above the law. But jailing a President will strain the system, divide the country and worsen its already diseased politics. An offer of a pardon medicates those ills #TrumpArrest

Many people will hate this idea. They want Trump to pay the consequences - to watch him squirm and shuffle in leg chains. Me too. But in a world of shit choices, this shit choice offers the best possible set of outcomes. #TrumpArrest