Radio host Charlamagne Tha God on Thursday cautioned President Joe Biden against preemptively pardoning President-elect Donald Trump’s political opponents.
Former President Bill Clinton told “The View” co-hosts Wednesday that he believes Trump won the 2024 election fairly and that he hopes Biden would refrain from preemptively pardoning his wife or other Trump foes. Charlamagne, on “The Breakfast Club,” reacted to audio of Clinton’s remarks by agreeing on both points, arguing that preemptive pardons could create a perception of guilt for those receiving them.
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“I agree with everything Clinton said. You know, I agree Trump won fair and square. It is what it is. And I don’t think President Biden should do preemptive pardons either. Makes people look guilty if you ask me,” Charlamagne said. “Biden should be pardoning all the nonviolent drug offenders in federal prison. He should be pardoning everybody in federal prison for nonviolent weed convictions, okay? He should be pardoning [former Baltimore City State’s Attorney] Marilyn Mosby. Those are the pardons he should be working on before he gets his old ass up out of here.”
Biden is issuing pardons to 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes and is granting clemency to nearly 1,500 individuals placed on home confinement, the White House announced Thursday.
Co-host DJ Envy suggested that Trump may seek revenge on individuals who “tried to get him locked up,” but Charlamagne doubled down on his point.
“Why would I be pardoning you if you don’t have any crimes connected to you? Don’t that make you look guilty if I give you a preemptive pardon?” Charlamagne asked.
Envy countered, claiming that preemptive pardons could reflect awareness of Trump’s potential actions.
“Or it could mean Trump knows something that we don’t know, and that’s why he’s going after these people,” Charlamagne retorted. “I just don’t understand why you would give somebody a preemptive pardon. Like it just feels like you saying, ‘Okay, I know this person is guilty of something, and Trump may go after them.’”
“‘Cause he said for the last couple of years he’s going to be going at them,” Envy responded.
Charlamagne dismissed the notion, saying a president cannot pursue individuals “for no reason,” but Envy suggested Trump might still do so.
“It just seems strange to do preemptive pardons if you ask me,” Charlamagne said. “But what do I know? I try to stay out of white people business.”
Vice President Kamala Harris said during her presidential campaign that Trump would seek revenge on his “enemies” if he were to win a second term. However, Trump said in a Sunday “Meet the Press” interview that his “retribution will be through success.”
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