A Number of Congressional Democrats Urge Pardoning Trump
“Using the judiciary for obvious partisan purposes undermines the trust we have in our institutions,” said Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) in a post.
This week, several congressional Democrats, including a former member of the House Democratic leadership, advocated for a pardon for President-elect Donald Trump.
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the former House Democratic majority whip, addressed a question on MSNBC regarding whether Trump should receive a pardon from President Joe Biden.
“If we continue to unearth past issues, I’m not certain the country will find its way,” Clyburn added, also supporting Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter for two federal charges earlier this month.
Biden might consider pardoning Trump related to two federal cases initiated by special counsel Jack Smith—one in Washington concerning alleged Trump offenses following the 2020 election and another in Florida regarding accusations of improperly handling classified documents.
Since then, Smith has withdrawn the Washington case and abandoned his appeal of a federal judge’s decision from July to dismiss the Florida case.
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Trump was never found guilty in either case and pleaded not guilty in both.
On Tuesday, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) stated on Truth Social that Trump should be pardoned in his New York criminal matter.
In his post, Fetterman likened the New York business records case against Trump to Hunter Biden’s federal gun and tax charges. Additionally, the outgoing president granted pardons related to other potential criminal actions between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024, to his son.
Fetterman, who was elected to the Senate in 2022, appears to be the first Democratic senator advocating for a pardon for Trump. He may also be the first Democratic senator to join Truth Social, a platform launched by Trump in 2022, where many of Trump’s official statements on policies, appointments, and legal matters are posted.
A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty in May of this year on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has pleaded not guilty to these charges, asserting that they are politically motivated and intended to disrupt the 2024 elections.
Since the case was filed by the state and is based on state law rather than federal law, Biden lacks the authority to pardon Trump. Only the governor of New York can grant such a pardon to the president-elect.
Although sentencing has been indefinitely postponed by the judge overseeing the case, the conviction against Trump remains in effect. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, in a recently unsealed court filing, indicated that the president-elect could either receive a non-incarceration sentence or that sentencing could be deferred until he leaves office.
“The People acknowledge the importance of a smooth executive transition and the peaceful transfer of power, but those interests do not necessitate the unprecedented action of halting post-trial motion practices in an ongoing criminal case,” stated the filing from the district attorney’s office.
In addition to Fetterman and Clyburn, at least one other Democratic lawmaker has called for Trump to be pardoned.
“What I would have recommended, as a counsel, is this: ‘Why don’t you go ahead and pardon Donald Trump for all his charges?’” Manchin remarked.
The Epoch Times reached out to Hochul’s office for comments on Wednesday.
