The controversy in the US election has not yet subsided, and the news that US President Trump may be pardoned before he leaves office has also attracted great attention from all walks of life in the United States.
US media disclosed on the 3rd that US President Trump is considering pardoning as many as 20 aides and family members before leaving office, even including early pardoning himself.
According to the report, since the election this year, the White House has held many meetings to discuss in detail the list of persons to be pardoned, which may include Trump’s three oldest children and son-in-law Kushner, and private lawyer Giuliani.
The report quoted sources as saying that once the president makes a decision, the government will act quickly, even without going through the Justice Department. However, many Republicans worry that an early pardon will be regarded as an admission of crime.
Some people around Trump worry that if the president’s pardon is too wide in his final term, it may “contaminate” his political heritage or damage future campaign activities.
In response to media reports, President-elect Biden said on the 3rd that he was very worried. He worries that Trump’s actions will create a certain precedent, and how other countries in the world will view the United States as a “rule of law and justice.”
However, Biden also emphasized that after taking office, he will not interfere with the work of the Justice Department, and will not order investigations of certain people. In addition, Biden also stated that Trump should attend his inauguration ceremony to show “a peaceful transition of power.”
Trump has previously pardoned Flynn, former National Security Affairs Assistant
Prior to this, on November 25 this year, US President Trump had pardoned his first national security assistant Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty in the “Russia” investigation.
US media broke out in February 2017 that Flynn had several calls with the then Russian ambassador to the United States, Kislyak, before Trump took office, suggesting that sanctions on Russia might be lifted. The report prompted Flynn to resign after only 22 days as the president’s assistant to national security affairs.
In the subsequent investigation, Flynn and other six Trump aides were charged. Flynn reached a plea agreement with the prosecutor in December 2017, but tried to withdraw the plea agreement in January this year.
