So one of the last things Trump did was pardon a whole shitton of scumbags.

[conuly]

But not himself, because you can't do that.

Anyway, putting his self-serving pardons aside, I have a serious question about how pardons work. Theoretically, could an incoming president say "Look, we all know that the War on Drugs is both racist and bullshit, and also racist bullshit" and then grant a blanket pardon to everybody convicted of possession? Or would this president have to issue all the pardons individually?

Comments

[adrian_turtle]

He could have resigned on Tuesday and asked PENCE to pardon him, like Ford pardoned Nixon. Richard Nixon didn't admit guilt, he could just say, "Gerry, those assholes think they can convict me!" (Of course, if Pence felt sufficiently betrayed, he might just refrain from pardoning Trump after that resignation.)

[conuly]

He apparently didn't trust that Pence would pardon him.

[hudebnik]

Would you, after pointing a mob with nooses and a gibbet at your Vice President?

[conuly]

I wouldn't anyway.

[moxie_man]

The US Supreme Court ruled in 1915 (Burdick Vs United States) that the granting and acceptance of a presidential pardon meant a presumption of (by granting) and confession of (by accepting) of guilt.

Ford wasn't Nixon's running mate. Congress appointed him through the 25th Amendment after Agnew resigned. Nixon nominated him, but only after Congress said: You're going to nominate Ford as we won't accept anyone else.

History continues to argue over what Ford did. Right or the wrong move, thanks to that US Supreme Court ruling, basically, Ford saved the nation from a lot of hassle, by getting Nixon to indirectly admit his guilt.

As such, I stick by my earlier statement. One of the reasons Orange Face didn't try to self pardon was it meant he'd have to admit he was guilty of something.