December 4, 2024
Fairfield Daily Republic
The Other Side
Pardoning Hunter was a good start to protecting against Trump's revenge
By Kelvin Wade
Kudos to President Joe Biden for pardoning his son, Hunter. But I argue the president has far more to do to protect the country from an incoming autocrat.
We have a Supreme Court that has empowered an autocratic president-elect who has promised to use the executive branch to punish the “lunatic left," or as he likes to say “the enemy within.” Since he tried to install Matt Gaetz as attorney general and is planning on replacing the FBI director he appointed, Christopher Wray, with a lackey, we know he’s serious.
A seriously unusual threat requires a seriously unusual defense. Joe Biden must use the presidential pardon power to thwart the upcoming misuse of the FBI and Justice Department by issuing pre-emptive pardons. Biden must pardon every member of the Jan. 6. committee, including former representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
He must pardon Georgia prosecutor Fawni Willis, New York prosecutors Alvin Bragg and Letitia James and their entire teams. He should pardon judges Juan Merchan, Arthur Engoron, Tonya Chutkan, Scott McAfee and Lewis Kaplan and their staffs. He should pardon special prosecutor Jack Smith and his entire team.
Beyond that, President Biden should issue pardons to former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. He should pardon retired Gen. Mark Milley and others.
While this may seem absurd, since the president-elect has threatened so many with persecution, he makes such a response necessary. One could even see issuing pardons to media figures, newspapers and networks. The president-elect has repeatedly called the press the “enemy of the people” and no doubt, will go after them as despots do when they take power.
The pardon power is a plenary power. It is absolute for federal crimes. And the president can issue pardons for an individual for any and every federal crime they may have committed from their birth to the time of the pardon. That’s a blanket pardon and those types of pardons are rare. But this threat calls for blanket pardons.
Unfortunately, knowing the vindictive nature of the fascist in question, the president would have to go even further with the pardons. He will have to pardon family members of the people I’ve listed because the fascist’s partisan hatred will compel him to go after the most vulnerable. We’ve already seen it with him attacking the President’s son, Hunter and attacking family members of the judges in his cases. They will need pardons.
Of course, this wasn’t what the pardon power was intended for. But we saw the president-elect misuse the pardon power when he was in office, pardoning his co-conspirators and friends. We see him promising to pardon the insurrectionists he summoned to try to steal the 2020 election. The founders didn’t intend for presidents to be above the law and use the power of the office to go after their enemies but that’s where we are now.
Now none of these people I’m calling for President Biden to pardon are guilty of any crimes, but it won’t matter. The burden of hiring lawyers and defending themselves from the MAGA witch hunt could ruin their lives.
Some of these folks might refuse a pardon, which is their right. It’s a shame that so many public servants who’ve served with integrity would be in a position to have to accept a pardon having committed no crime but someone who doesn’t value our Constitution, laws and has no character whatsoever, empowered by a spineless GOP, is coming to power next Jan. 20. It is a way to shield people from his treachery.
President Joe Biden, as per our extreme Supreme Court, has presidential immunity. However, one last act would be to pardon his vice-president and then to resign, thus elevating Kamala Harris to the presidency. Then President Harris must issue a blanket pardon to Joe Biden and his entire family.
There would be the added bonus of making Kamala Harris the 47th president and forcing MAGA to burn their hats and merchandise.
As for MAGA and GOP outrage over the pardons, give us a break. You bend over backward (and forward) for your dear leader while he uses the Constitution as Charmin and now you’re (faux) outraged? Cry your MAGA tears elsewhere.
It’s sad that it’s come to this. But America has changed, and these are the steps needed to weather the fascist wave. Peace.
Reach Kelvin Wade at kelvinjwade@outlook.com.
