Donald Trump has wielded his presidential pardon power in ways that favor loyalists and supporters, deviating from traditional uses that seek justice or rehabilitative purposes. Legal experts criticize this approach, stating it promotes an authoritarian narrative, rewarding partisans while prosecuting enemies. Trump has issued over 1,600 pardons, with few aimed at correcting judicial errors and many benefiting those involved in events supporting his claim of the 2020 election theft, thus communicating a clear message to his base about loyalty and support against perceived unfairness in the legal system.
Trump's use of the pardon power is part of his effort to put the country on an authoritarian path... it is rewarding his partisan allies.
No president before Trump has simply abandoned the principle that pardons are to be used for the public good... he is clearly sending a message to supporters.
Instead of administering the pardon power evenhandedly, he is rewarding his partisan allies. It’s the carrot for supporters, and he uses the stick of weaponizing prosecutions.
Of the more than 1,600 pardons Trump has issued, only a tiny fraction fit the traditional purpose of addressing a miscarriage of justice.
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