When reporters outside the White House asked President Biden about possibly pardoning Trump, his response was not surprising.
President Biden reacted with a dismissive smile and a light-hearted chuckle, promptly moving towards Marine One, thus avoiding a direct response.
The question was spurred by recent statements from Republican candidate and Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, who insinuated the possibility of pardoning Trump if he, DeSantis, assumes the presidential office. A significant contender for the 2024 GOP nomination, DeSantis proclaimed that he would seriously consider pardoning not only Trump, but also the January 6 rioters if they were found guilty of any federal crimes.
On the “Clay and Buck” radio program, DeSantis conveyed his intention to form a task force at the start of his tenure to review cases of those he believes were unfairly targeted or faced partisan prejudice. He firmly committed to proactively issuing pardons.
During his 2020 election campaign, Biden pledged to deviate from the contentious decision of President Gerald Ford to pardon Richard Nixon. In a digital town hall meeting in May 2015, he confidently stated he would not pardon Trump if similar circumstances arose.
Presently, Trump is under the lens of a New York grand jury for more than 30 counts of falsifying business records, charges that lie outside the realm of presidential pardons as they fall under state jurisdiction. Concurrently, Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is spearheading inquiries into Trump’s alleged unauthorized possession of national defense data, obstruction of the ensuing investigation, and his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riots.
As investigations continue, the chance of Trump being indicted on federal charges persists. President Biden’s response seems to indicate he will not obstruct justice by granting a pardon, allowing the judicial process to continue without interference.
