The presidential pardon is one of the most powerful tools in the president’s arsenal. It’s shaping up to be the next political tool.
And now this stunning Trump pardon news put Democrats on their heels.
Sports journalist Stephen A. Smith has proposed a bold idea: President Joe Biden should consider pardoning President-elect Donald Trump, framing it as a critical step to help the nation “move forward.”
The call came during a conversation with NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo, where the topic of Biden’s sweeping pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, was front and center.
Biden’s unprecedented pardon absolves Hunter of all “offenses against the United States” committed or participated in over an 11-year period — an about-face from the president’s previous vow not to issue such a pardon.
Cuomo floated the idea of extending the same courtesy to Trump, and Smith quickly agreed. “That’s exactly what I would do,” Smith said emphatically.
“Enough’s enough,” Smith continued.
“You know what? You’re the Democrats. You lost the election. You got your butt whipped. You could’ve prevented him from going back to the White House. More than a dozen cases have been dropped against him, the cases that have been ruled against him, he’s going to appeal, and he’ll probably get off from having to deal with all of that. It’s time to move forward.”
Smith urged Democrats to stop living in the past and instead focus on the 2026 midterm elections if they want to challenge Trump’s influence.
He also noted that Trump’s next four years as president will offer Democrats plenty of opportunities to critique his leadership and hold him accountable.
Drawing historical parallels, Smith referenced Gerald Ford’s controversial pardon of Richard Nixon for “all offenses against the United States” during his presidency.
“Ford chose to move on ‘for the good of the country,’” Smith remarked, implying Biden could do the same with Trump.
Smith also criticized political hypocrisy in Washington, D.C., pointing out, “A lot of times, these folks speak about this stuff, but they don’t do what they say they’re going to do…and today was the latest example of that.”
Smith’s comments align with recent remarks from outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), who similarly suggested that pardoning Trump could make Biden’s controversial pardon of his son appear “a lot more balanced.”
Manchin even questioned the long-term impact of Biden’s decision on his presidential legacy.
The potential fallout from Hunter Biden’s pardon isn’t just political.
Legal experts suggest it could strip Hunter of his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, potentially opening the door for Republicans to intensify their investigations into the Biden family’s foreign business dealings.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) called this an “unintended consequence” that Biden may not have fully anticipated.
As President-elect Trump prepares to take office, Smith’s remarks underscore a growing sentiment:
It’s time to turn the page and focus on the future. A Trump pardon could symbolize a new chapter for the nation — a stark contrast to the Democrats’ fixation on the past four years.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
