TRUMP DOES NOT DESERVE A PARDON (YET)
I have long thought that Ford did the right thing by pardoning Nixon.
The decision was debatable at the time but ultimately vindicated, in large part because of the statesmanlike way Nixon conducted himself in the aftermath.
I had been leaning toward the view that the US would be better off if Joe Biden similarly pardoned Trump and allowed the country to move on. No longer.
Congress’s decision to limit the scope of the impeachment inquiry and then acquit on a party line vote has created a situation in which the vast majority of Americans have only a vague sense of Trump’s criminality.
The credibility of the U.S. system both at home and abroad depends on its willingness to litigate the president’s alleged crimes.
A pardon may be prudent down the line, but only after the full legal process has played out.
No future presidential aspirant should enter the race assuming that victory comes with the benefit of legal immunity.
Pratik Chougule is a contributor to Star Spangled Gamblers and author of the book How to Make Money from Political Predictions: A Guide to Generating High, Steady Returns from PredictIt.
