Begging your pardon

Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is the only one — so far — to promise, if he is elected, to pardon Donald J. Trump.

Should Joe Biden (left) pardon Donald J. Trump?

He’s lost my support on that one, but that notion sparked an idea.

But first — if Trump wins the GOP nomination,  and if he wins the Presidential election, and if he is convicted after he is sworn in — he can pardon himself!

President Joe Biden can beat him to the punch.

Biden should pardon Trump now, before his trial over classified documents.

Say what?

Follow me down this twisted path.

First, most of the Right is howling (with some justification) that the former president is being attacked for political motives, and a large  majority of people agree, according to a poll taken after his indictment by New York’s district attorney, but before the federal indictment. 

The federal charges will probably add fuel to the fire that the Department of Justice has been “weaponized” against Trump.

If he is charged, they ask, why was not Biden or Hillary Clinton charged for mishandling classified documents? Or previous presidents.

And why have no charges been brought, yet, against Hunter Biden for influence peddling, or lobbying, or something?

Those are fair questions.

You may recall President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard M. Nixon to promote healing of the nation, and to get the ugliness of a corrupt president behind us.

Biden could use the same language, and destroy the “weaponization” allegations. Imagine Trump being put in a position of having to thank Biden. (You will have to imagine it, because Trump is bigger on “I blame you” rather than “I thank you.”

How would the pardon benefit Biden?

Because he believes that Trump is the opponent he can most easily defeat.

He may be wrong, but that’s the conventional wisdom.

And once he pardons Trump, he can subtly challenge House Republicans, who are the majority, to end the pursuit of Hunter, so that both parties can march into the election with clean hands.

Just a thought.