That would be funny, I think. Hell if Ford can pardon Nixon, one senile old racist can pardon another.

Then Trump goes on to win the presidency again :lathe-of-heaven:

  • FnordPrefect [comrade/them, he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    :biden-the-thing::The country is more divided than ever and faith in our institutions is at an all time low. It is time to begin the healing and to reassure all Americans of the integrity and resilience of our Democracy. To that end I have decided to pardon President-former President- Trump of all charges. This is the only way to ensure that there can be no claims of political interference with the legal system preventing the upcoming election from representing the will of the people.

    :frothingfash:: See! Biden and Clinton made it all up! But since we refused to be fooled and stuck with Trump, they're giving it up! We must fight to remove this authoritarian communist from office for trying to abuse his power like that!

    That is to say, the odds are good :doomer:

  • 420blazeit69 [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    Most likely, the trial will not be concluded until after the 2024 election, making it moot.

    If it is, and he's found guilty, and if sentencing isn't kicked down the road long enough to be after the election/make it moot, I can see some lib judge hand down no prison time on a theory of "we don't want to set a bad precedent" or "it would be damaging to democracy to imprison a former president after a closely-contested election over not shredding documents." A big problem for going hard, besides lib squeamishness and naivete generally, is that a ton of politicians do shit like this if anyone cared to look.

    • Infamousblt [any]
      ·
      1 year ago

      This is honestly the funniest case scenario, because I guarantee some Republican will become the front runner by running on a campaign that consists solely of "I will pardon Trump when I become President". It's going to mean that the entire liberal discourse shifts from whatever lies they want to tell to "We won't pardon Trump because we are the party of LAW AND ORDER" in a bid to capture "moderates." It'll fail spectacularly and the Dems will lose yet another completely unlosable election, and rather than blaming the fact that they refused to talk about literally anything meaningful, they'll blame us for not coming out to :vote: for their LAW AND ORDER candidates. Trump will be pardoned and run again in 2028 taking down whatever Republican pardoned him in the first place.

      I hate this world but my god it would be the funniest timeline I can imagine.

  • wild_dog [they/them]
    ·
    1 year ago

    i'm guessing like 1%. people hating Trump is the only thing that got him elected so this would be like the one thing he could do that would kill off the rest of his already tiny base of support.

    • Dolores [love/loves]
      ·
      1 year ago

      this would be like the one thing he could do that would kill off the rest of his already tiny base of support

      he'll do it tomorrow :DaBiden:

      • wild_dog [they/them]
        ·
        1 year ago

        nah Kamala will just push him down the stairs before it gets to that BECAUSE IT'S HER TURN

  • FALGSConaut [comrade/them]
    ·
    1 year ago

    Hell, what are the odds that either (or both!) die before the election or inauguration? Sleepy Joe is 80, and Trump isn't far behind at 77. Sure they both have access to the best medical care money can buy but a lot can happen at that age

    • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
      ·
      1 year ago

      Trump's father lived to be 93 and his mother was 88. His older sister is still alive too and she's 86.

      I could easily see him living to 95 or older

      • FALGSConaut [comrade/them]
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        Hopeful thinking aside that's probably the most likely outcome. Seems like all the worst people live forever, and I will not be surprised if trump has another decade or two in him

  • Albanian_Lil_Pump [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    Apparently republicans have introduced impeachment hearings in congress. There’s a non zero chance Biden pardons trump and accepts impeachment out of civility

  • RonJonGuaido [none/use name]
    ·
    1 year ago

    Why wouldn't he? Republicans eat shit for yet another election cycle, and Biden gets to be magnanimous.

    Then Trump goes on to win the presidency again

    Terminal 2016 brain.

    • AbbysMuscles [she/her]
      hexagon
      ·
      1 year ago

      Terminal 2016 brain.

      Not really, I just tend to assume that the stupidest possible outcome is the inevitable outcome.

    • wild_dog [they/them]
      ·
      1 year ago

      Terminal 2016 brain.

      sure, if you ignore the fact that Biden didn't do anything but give cops money while covid and inflation ran rampant and abortion rights went away. he's already less popular than Trump in a lot of places lol

      • DragonBallsDeep [comrade/them]
        ·
        1 year ago

        Hate to be that guy and I'm not endorsing the following but rather putting on my lib political analysis hat, BUT giving cops money is unfortunately politically popular, COVID is politically unpopular, inflation has fallen for the 6th straight month, and abortion rights have been an unprecedented boon to the democrats election strategy. 2022 midterms and local/gubernatorial elections since have been a low key direct repudiation of Trump politics and sadly its all working out to keep the liberal machine alive on its death bed for probably another election cycle or two.

        • wild_dog [they/them]
          ·
          1 year ago

          the main problem I have with your lib political analysis (i know you're not agreeing with it obviously) is that it kinda assumes Democrats will continue to win running this strategy even though their margin of victory is so small that even a small Biden to Trump/other Republican exodus would be enough to lose Biden the election. You're correct that a lot of people hate Republican politics, but also a lot of people like them! The problem is the Democrats have the people hating them part without enough of the people loving dems part.

  • Lovely_sombrero [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    It would be smart to do, the best bet for the Dems in 2024 is running against (always unpopular) Trump. If he can't campaign from jail, then they should let him out.

    • 420blazeit69 [he/him]
      ·
      1 year ago

      the best bet for the Dems in 2024 is running against (always unpopular) Trump

      This is the :hillary-apartment: strategy

      • BlueMagaChud [any]
        ·
        1 year ago

        Sure, it's a good strategy for their de facto goal of a narrow loss with tons of funds raised and guaranteed tons of fundraising for 4 years, brunches are expensive. Second best is a narrow win because then they've gotta come up with a bunch of excuses for not doing anything.

      • Lovely_sombrero [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        Assuming that the Dem candidate has been locked-in, you want the GOP candidate to be Trump. Of course, Dems could just nominate someone good, but that is probably impossible. Also, if a Dem loses to an unpopular Republican, this is great for the Dem party in the long term, they've got 4 years of doing nothing, except fundraising.