As the U.S. midterm elections approach, the situation for the Republican Party is critical. Facing a possible return of Democratic control over Congress, U.S. President Trump has begun considering amending the law to pardon government officials and allies in advance, in order to prevent them from being held accountable later.
According to a report by The New York Post on November 2, Trump was asked in the podcast “Pod Force One” hosted by the newspaper's commentator Miranda DeWine about possible actions by the Democrats against billionaire Elon Musk, or even the possible nationalization of his space exploration technology company SpaceX.
Trump believes that these are only rumors at present, and "this cannot happen; it's just talk." However, he said that if these threats do materialize, "we must protect them."
When further questioned about whether he would follow in the footsteps of former President Biden and grant early pardons to government employees and other allies to prevent them from being investigated and prosecuted by Democrats, Trump said clearly, “If necessary, I certainly will do that. I wouldn’t hesitate at all.”
Trump also cited the precedent set by former President Biden to justify the possible leniency measures he might take.
Biden just did that. He pardoned everyone. Trump said.
Before leaving office, Biden granted preventative pardons to former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Robert Redfield, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, as well as those involved in investigating the Capitol Hill riot on January 6, 2021. Additionally, Biden pardoned his son Hunter and several family members.
The New York Post reports that when asked whether Trump himself was on the list of targets for Democrats' attacks, he appeared less confident.
"Yes, as for myself, I can't say for sure either." Trump said.
According to reports, Democrats have begun discussing how to hold the Trump administration and its allies accountable if they regain control of Congress after the midterms.
The New York Post pointed out that amnesty only applies to federal crimes and cannot prevent state-level criminal prosecutions, civil lawsuits, or congressional impeachment proceedings.
Polls show that Democrats have a greater chance of turning the tables and winning the House of Representatives. Trump called these polls “manipulated” and used the enthusiasm at his campaign rallys as an example, suggesting that the Republicans would perform better than expected.
