(UnitedVoice.com) – Former President Donald Trump is currently facing 40 felony charges in a classified documents case. He also revealed recently that federal authorities could charge him with alleged crimes related to the 2020 election. While the 45th president has repeatedly said he does not intend to drop out of the race, there’s a possibility that if he did and another conservative won, they could pardon him. That’s what one of his opponents made clear in a recent interview.
A Pardon Promise
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is among the Republicans vying for the nomination. On Sunday, July 30, he spoke to CNN’s Kasie Hunt about the new charges against Trump. On July 27, US Attorney Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment charging the former POTUS with altering, destroying, mutilating, or concealing a document, record, or something else. He was also charged with corruptly altering or destroying a record or other object and another count of willfully retaining national defense information.
Hunt acknowledged that Ramaswamy has said he would pardon Trump in the past, but she wants to know if he still wants to do it in light of the superseding indictment. The Republican candidate told her he wants to move America forward, so he “would pardon him.” He went on to say that he believes the prosecution against Trump is politicized.
Ramaswamy went on to say that he thinks the DOJ shouldn’t “convict somebody of a process crime” when there wasn’t an “underlying crime.” He thinks the charges against the former president are a process crime because he claims it was one “that would not have existed but for the existence of an investigation.”
It’s not clear which of the 40 felony charges Ramaswamy was referring to as a process crime. Some charges against Trump are for the alleged removal and retention of classified material. Others are related to the reported cover-up of those crimes.
What Other Republican Candidates Are Saying
Not all Republican candidates are taking the same approach as Ramaswamy. On the same program, Hunt asked Chris Christie if he thought the former president obstructed justice. The ex-New Jersey governor said that he believes it was and called Trump’s actions “brazen.” Christie previously stated that he “would have a hard time considering any pardon” if Trump is convicted.
Asa Hutchinson told CBS’ “Face The Nation” that GOP candidates who promise to pardon the former president “is not serving our system of justice well and it’s inappropriate.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence has said he would consider pardoning Trump. Nikki Haley has said he should receive a pardon “for the good of the nation.” Ron DeSantis has also expressed that he would consider one.
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