The president's pardon power applies only to federal crimes. However, a president can issue a symbolic "pardon" for a supporter convicted on state charges. While legally void, this action serves as a powerful political signal to followers that the president stands with them, demonstrating a use of the pardon power for pure messaging.
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By labeling a problem with a single, highly emotional term (e.g., 'insurgents,' 'fentanyl'), leaders can create a public mandate to act decisively, often ignoring accountability, due process, and congressional oversight.
The Trump administration's strategy for control isn't writing new authoritarian laws, but aggressively using latent executive authority that past administrations ignored. This demonstrates how a democracy's own structures can be turned against it without passing a single new piece of legislation, as seen with the FCC.
A political party might intentionally trigger a government shutdown not to win policy concessions, but to create a public narrative of a dysfunctional opposition. The true victory isn't legislative but reputational, aiming to sway voters in upcoming elections by making the ruling party look incompetent.
The presidential pardon system, intended as a tool for justice and clemency, has been perverted into a transactional mechanism. It now primarily serves the wealthy and politically connected, diverting resources and attention from its core mission of correcting injustices for ordinary people caught in a flawed system.
In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court granted presidents immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts related to their "core constitutional functions," such as pardoning or directing investigations. This protection applies even if the actions are performed in bad faith, creating an unprecedented shield from accountability.
The process of presidential clemency has devolved into a monetized system where freedom is potentially for sale. The speaker claims that for a price between $500,000 and $3 million, one could navigate the right channels to secure a presidential pardon, effectively turning a tool of justice into a corrupt commodity.
When a politician suddenly makes a previously ignored issue intensely important, they are likely employing misdirection. The goal is to control the news cycle and public attention, either to distract from a more significant action happening elsewhere or to advance a hidden agenda unrelated to the stated crisis.
Seemingly irrational political decisions can be understood by applying a simple filter: politicians will say or do whatever they believe is necessary to get reelected. This framework decodes behavior better than assuming action is based on principle or for the public good.
An administration has no incentive to fully resolve a major public scandal because its unresolved nature makes it a perfect "red herring." It can be used repeatedly to distract the public and media from current policy failures or other damaging news, making perpetual ambiguity more politically useful than transparency.
The focus on pardoning political allies diverts legal resources and attention away from tens of thousands of ordinary inmates with legitimate clemency cases. This creates a two-tiered justice system where political loyalty is prioritized over rectifying potential miscarriages of justice for the general population.