Trump Declares to the World He Has the Right to Pardon Himself

Apparently, the mad talk of his dancing clown attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has planted the wrong idea in the head of President Donald Trump.

The president’s Monday morning “executive time” has been spent furthering Giuliani’s Sunday talk show assumptions, regarding the pardon powers of the president. In particular, should the Russia probe reveal certain illegal activities, could President Trump look at himself in the mirror and declare, “I pardon thee”?

In early morning tweets, Trump took Giuliani’s “probably” and translated it into an “absolutely.”

“As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?” the president wrote on tweeted.

Numerous legal scholars?

As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong? In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2018

Yeah. I don’t know if I’d say Rudy Giuliani’s wild-eyed talk show proclamations make him a “legal scholar,” or “numerous” for that matter – but you do you.

“In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!” he added, referring to the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election meddling and any potential ties between Trump campaign staff members and the Kremlin.

And how does he know they’re angry, and not just thorough?

All that being said, even Giuliani, who is the only one really saying Trump could pardon himself has added that should he try, it would most certainly end in impeachment.

“I think the political ramifications of that would be tough. Pardoning other people is one thing. Pardoning yourself is another,” Giuliani said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“Other presidents have pardoned people in circumstances like this, both in their administration and sometimes the next president, even of a different party will come along and pardon,” he added.

On that, Giuliani is correct. It’s highly unlikely that even a pusillanimous GOP would sit by and allow Trump to be found guilty of some crime against our nation and not form a bipartisan wall against a self-pardon.

When it comes to pardons, the closest thing there has been to a presidential self-pardon is likely when Gerald Ford got ahead of the charges and pardoned Richard Nixon. I’m sure there was some talk about that between Nixon and Ford, beforehand.

So if the ongoing Russia probe, or any other incident that pops up uncovers something unethical or criminal involving President Trump, how likely is it that he chooses taking his shot at a self-pardon over resigning and trusting Vice President Mike Pence to do him a solid and issue a pardon?

I guess it would depend on what the crime was. In his Sunday travels, Giuliani also suggested that Trump could kill former FBI Director James Comey while president and could get away with it, as long as he was in office.

An absolutely unhinged, hateful statement to make, by the way.

Still, Trump is being warned by GOP lawmakers not to entertain thoughts of a self-pardon.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) also weighed in on the issue saying, “I don’t think a president should pardon themselves.”

It would be a gross perversion of the rule of law in our nation. It would absolutely necessitate swift action from our lawmakers.

That being said, why is President Trump even openly considering it, as if he’s guilty of something? Only the guilty need worry about things like pardons.