Trump is considering pardoning Manafort

Nobody can stop him and Republicans won’t object.

VF reports that Trump continues to raise the possibility of a Manafort pardon, which Don McGahn is reportedly against.

Trump has told people he's considering bringing in a new lawyer if McGahn won't draft a pardon. "He really at this point does not care." https://t.co/yt60eqKqcJ

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 27, 2018

White House aides think Trump will pardon Manafort: report https://t.co/mmd5Do5xeb pic.twitter.com/z1SHqTQ3SC

— The Hill (@thehill) August 25, 2018

The President’s lawyer admits recommending that a pardon of Manafort be put off until later because of the “optics”. Reward your friends (even if they’re crooks) and punish your enemies (even if innocent). The White House now acts like little more than a racketeering enterprise. https://t.co/PDT31FEs76

— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiffCA) August 23, 2018

Pardons after charges – timelines

I would not be shocked in Trump pardoned Manafort. Since Cohen implicated Trump, he won’t be getting a pardon.

Source close to the White House says what a lot of people are thinking, with Trump on his way to W. Va.: "What if he pardons Manafort live on television? This is crisis PR firms worst nightmare.."

— Tarini Parti (@tparti) August 21, 2018

https://t.co/d1pQ1TACK8 pic.twitter.com/yD2jzL3jt4

— FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) August 21, 2018

Trump shouldn’t comment on the Manafort trial while it is going on

And the Manafort team thanked him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump pardons Manafort. The Republicans won’t do anything and Democrats are powerless.

.@PaulCallan pulls no punches about Trump speaking out today on the #Manafort case: “If Jeff Sessions said it rather than Donald Trump, if a lawyer said it, he’d be held in contempt of court…” pic.twitter.com/bIROHRJ7C7

— Brooke Baldwin (@BrookeBCNN) August 17, 2018

UPDATE: Judge in Manafort trial says has received threats related to case, is being protected by U.S. Marshals https://t.co/vzu1h66JxR

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 17, 2018

Manafort’s lawyer probably knows that his comment about Trump’s support for Manafort violates Virginia Rule of Professional Responsibility 3.6 (below). Judge Ellis will admonish him for the ethical violation, but there is no practical way for the damage to be undone. pic.twitter.com/yIl8cMK0RR

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) August 17, 2018

Remember when conservatives were not-at-all fake-mad about Obama saying Hillary Clinton didn't endanger national security during the email investigation, but then mysteriously didn't care when Trump praised Paul Manafort while his jury was deliberating?

— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) August 17, 2018

This sounds suspiciously like Trump is sending Manafort a message to stay strong and not cut a plea deal with the government while the jury is out. Because he has, you know, that pardon power. https://t.co/xm5IgC7zTD

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) August 17, 2018

More bad Trump pardons

Trump pardons arsonists.

To the cheers of right-wing militias, Trump issues pardon to child-abusing, serial arsonists https://t.co/v6lEKiJpoN

— Daily Kos (@dailykos) July 10, 2018

This is astonishing. It's an arson on federal lands case, prosecuted by the US Atty's Office in Oregon. Press release at conviction, here: https://t.co/xiKOpnXIfW There is no good reason for these pardons. Trump is using a tool meant to do justice in a wholly arbitrary fashion. https://t.co/JwSrA7OqPP

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) July 10, 2018

Twice this past month, Trump has added “firefighters” to the usual list of people he says he’s standing up for, along with ICE and the military. Steven Hammond was convicted of setting a 2006 fire that jeopardized the lives of four federal firefighters he knew were nearby.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 10, 2018

The hypocrisy at the heart of Trump's rancher pardon | By Peniel Joseph via @CNNOpinion https://t.co/xAbD1xAXI9 pic.twitter.com/WUsrhuxmJy

— CNN (@CNN) July 10, 2018

update 7/12/18:

After Trump's pardon, Oregon ranchers catch a ride home on Pence ally's private jet https://t.co/eXbrrICWKK

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 12, 2018

“We’re very lucky that my boss has been friends with the vice president,” said David Duquette, an aide to the magnate who pushed for the ranchers’ pardon. “That makes it easier for us to get our issues looked at.” https://t.co/eUXm1X2Bs4

— julieturkewitz (@julieturkewitz) July 12, 2018

Anti-Government Groups Cheer Trump’s Pardons of Ranchers Who Inspired Militia

D’Souza retweeted tweets – one had the hashtag #burnthejews and another had the hashtag #bringbackslavery

Remember Dinesh D’Souza, who was recently pardoned by Trump?

What a bigot!

sharp-eyed @smoobydog noticed 30 minutes ago that @DineshDSouza retweeted a tweet with the hashtag #burnthejews pic.twitter.com/KaN30xZcS7

— 🌊Ryan Adams (@filmystic) June 30, 2018

THIS is who Trump pardoned.

Dinesh D’Souza is now sharing the hashtags “Bring Back Slavery” and “Burn the Jews.”

THIS is the FOX News run Republican Party of today. pic.twitter.com/TP640b66XB

— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) June 30, 2018

Dinesh D’Souza Under Fire After Retweeting Posts With #BurnTheJews and #BringBackSlavery Hashtags https://t.co/Ww6yUOPh3H pic.twitter.com/QEm15yzFcf

— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) June 30, 2018

This is how he talks

"Provocateur." @AP is actively spreading this garbage under cover of euphemism, misleading readers and rewarding bad-faith right https://t.co/d5QdRScY3k

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) June 30, 2018

update 10/28/18:

No, not interesting, wrong. D'Souza is not a historian. He is a fraud and a hustler, which @KevinMKruse has proven repeatedly. For the president to retweet this, especially after today's horrific events, is disgusting. https://t.co/xdUgrTFfMG

— Chad Williams (@Dr_ChadWilliams) October 28, 2018

Dinesh D'Souza retweets "Burn the Jews."

Trump PARDONED Dinesh D'Souza.

This isn't complicated.

Trump is empowering American antisemitism.https://t.co/2kRzgoemsA

— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) October 28, 2018

#TrumpsAmerica: Three hate-filled crimes. Three hate-filled suspects.

Meanwhile, Trump's retweeting convicted felon Dinesh D'Souza (who has spread "Burn The Jews" and "Bring Back Slavery" hashtags) in an attempt to compare himself to Abraham Lincoln. https://t.co/1g2xBefWef

— Richard Hine (@richardhine) October 28, 2018

When Lincoln, an outsider and a Republican, won the election of 1860, all hell broke loose and Democrats went berserk. Sound familiar?

Catch my full @NRATV interview with @DLoesch: https://t.co/vjNxDuv8G0 pic.twitter.com/HBu7762BWN

— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) October 27, 2018

Trump pardons

Trump said today that he will ask athletes who kneel during the national anthem to suggest people he should pardon. https://t.co/B6nK0WVl54

— Axios (@axios) June 8, 2018

Dear @realDonaldTrump: I appreciate your gesture, but the pardon power should not be based on celebrities. A person's access to NFL athletes, or one's status as a celebrity, should have no bearing on the pardon power. It should be based on justice & mercy, not celebrity status. https://t.co/HHCYwOeHNT

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 9, 2018

Five myths about presidential pardons

This is good background since Trump has been pardoning people and there is controversy over whether or not he could pardon himself.

I say that if he pardons himself, who would stop him? Nobody. The Democrats can’t and the Republicans won’t. Maybe the Supreme Court would do something but can you un-pardon someone after the fact?

Trump says he can pardon himself

Why would Trump even mention pardoning himself if he is innocent? (I think he’s guilty of something.)

Here’s an analysis from CNN.

You don’t need to be a lawyer to understand why courts would never uphold a president’s power to commit crimes and then pardon himself for them. https://t.co/muxS9HasBs

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) June 4, 2018

President Nixon asked the Department of Justice if he could pardon himself. They said no, as no one may be the judge in their own case. He resigned three days later.

In case you want to follow the Nixon model, that would be Thursday. https://t.co/5ntHaySTBJ

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) June 4, 2018

Who are these numerous so-called “scholars”? Did they all graduate from Trump University Law School? Why are you and Rudy even floating this hot air balloon? https://t.co/jyXLSWfskT

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) June 4, 2018

Additions to the Trump Wannabe Despot Checklist (which is already long and getting longer by the day):
✓Assert that rule of law does not apply to himself
✓Insist that he has the power to pardon himself
✓Call a lawfully appointed Special Counsel investigation “unconstitutional” https://t.co/smCXCxBjlb

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) June 4, 2018

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley just told me this: “If I were president of the United States and I had a lawyer that said I could pardon myself, I think I would hire a new lawyer.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 4, 2018

Today, President Trump has made a claim of immunity from criminal wrongdoing – in office and out – more sweeping than anything dared by Richard Nixon. He's not just a Twitter troll, even if he acts like it. Time for hearings on this radical new claim of POTUS power to break law

— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 4, 2018

I ask Ted Cruz if he agrees with Trump that the president can pardon himself. Cruz is silent for eighteen (18!) seconds before telling reporters it’s not a constitutional area he’s studied.

— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) June 4, 2018

Schumer on floor: "If a president can pardon himself, it's virtually a monarchy … If presidents had the power to pardon themselves, we'd no longer be a democracy." If presidents were beyond reach of probes, one could "engage in rife corruption, self-dealing without consequence"

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 4, 2018

The President of the United States is threatening to pardon himself in order to undermine an independent investigation. His lawyers are arguing that obstruction of justice doesn't apply to him. And the governing party watches silently from Congress. This is a recipe for tyranny.

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) June 4, 2018

Corker on Trump's claim he could pardon himself:
"I can't imagine a president even bringing that up. I don't know where that comes from and I can't imagine even referencing that."

— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) June 4, 2018

The President’s assertion that he can pardon himself comes in the context of a number of stunning assertions by his lawyers… https://t.co/1kEFKu26zm pic.twitter.com/8lXOAWyTPe

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) June 4, 2018

The constitutionality of a self-pardon remains largely undiscussed/unreviewed because it's never occurred to any President to **publicly** suggest something so obviously corrupt.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 4, 2018

Schumer: "As the DOJ Legal Counsel wrote 4 days before Nixon resigned, 'Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the president cannot pardon himself.' This is virtually indisputable … The president does not have the right to pardon himself."

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 4, 2018

Nice refresher here from @seanilling with my and other legal scholars' hot takes on a presidential self-pardon https://t.co/9xTtp0BC7B

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) June 4, 2018

The Supreme Court long ago ruled that accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt. If Trump tries to pardon himself, not only will it be struck down, it can be used as evidence of his guilt once he’s put on trial. So by all means, Donald, please proceed.

— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) June 4, 2018

By saying he has an absolute right to pardon himself, @realdonaldtrump continues to act like a dictator or an absolute monarch. In a democracy, no one is above the law, including him.

— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) June 4, 2018

Pardon me, Mr. President, but you really should shut up about pardoning yourself https://t.co/GzPpEdm4a4 (via @latimesopinion) pic.twitter.com/Iffq1nZd8M

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 4, 2018

Sen. Collins says of Trump pardoning himself: "There's no doubt that if the president were ever to pardon himself it would have catastrophic implications for him and our country." She declines to say whether she thinks it would be an impeachable offense

— Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) June 4, 2018

Trump pardons people who share his political views

Trump is pardoning Dinesh D’Sousza who pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions.

Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D’Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018

He wasn’t treated unfairly. He was guilty and admitted it.

CNN Analysis of the pardons and their impact on the Russia investigation

Washington Post analysis

The President has the right to pardon but the facts are these: D'Souza intentionally broke the law, voluntarily pled guilty, apologized for his conduct & the judge found no unfairness. The career prosecutors and agents did their job. Period. https://t.co/bA3I8vs4QQ via @politico

— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) May 31, 2018

Dinesh D’Souza said the Charlottesville rally was a hoax, shared images calling Obama a gay Muslim, said Michelle Obama is a man, started conspiracy theory about Vegas shooting, mocked shooting survivors and defended Hitler. Just in the past year. This pardon is disgraceful.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) May 31, 2018

Dinesh D'Souza has long been a nasty and extreme ideologue peddling hate and racism. So he's a perfect recipient of Trump pardon. https://t.co/Phadw2PNBr

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 31, 2018

obama pardoned people who faced real injustice. trump pardons pieces of shit like dinesh d'souza and joe arpaio. that's the difference.

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) May 31, 2018

Not that it affects the legal case, but Dinesh D’Souza’s twitter feed looks like Roseanne’s x 1,000 and is what he’s been known for in recent years. There’s a separate message getting sent there too with this pardon. https://t.co/aDKjkqYiXT

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) May 31, 2018

Trump’s Dinesh D’Souza pardon today, on top of his pardons of Scooter Libby and Joe Arpaio, make sense only as an elephant-whistle to Michael Cohen & all who know damning things about Trump: protect me & I’ll have your back. Turn on me & your goose is cooked. More obstruction!

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) May 31, 2018

In pardoning the well-documented criminality of folks like Dinesh D'Souza and Joe Arpaio, President Trump is sending a clear message: Personal loyalty to his administration will secure legal immunity.

It can't be overstated how subversive this is to a functioning democracy. https://t.co/oqxuei9pIa

— Serene Jones (@SereneJones) May 31, 2018

Also important here is the *way* he's doing these pardons (Arpaio, Libby, D'souza), which as far as I can tell, aren't going through the pardon attorney process.

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) May 31, 2018

let’s remember just *three months ago* when D’Souza was disinvited from CPAC for mocking the Parkland kids pic.twitter.com/gzrTL0KRph

— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) May 31, 2018

D’Souza has been loudly blasting law enforcement and defending Trump. Yet another signal from Trump that he will help his allies even if they committed serious crimes. https://t.co/W03qwynxcY

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) May 31, 2018

D’Souza’s claims that he was treated unfairly in his prosecution were found to be completely without merit by a federal judge. See the thread below. https://t.co/rIfhQGF3Gb

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) May 31, 2018

one particularly odious comment i forgot: after unarmed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was shot to death in Florida, Dinesh D'Souza referred to President Obama as "Grown-Up Trayvon in the White House" https://t.co/BXiuija7zB

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) May 31, 2018

These are called “Straw Donors.” D’Souza reimbursed the Straw Donors $10k each in cash, $20k total

During the plea proceeding, D’Souza “admitted that he knew that what he was doing was wrong and something the law forbids,” per US Attorney.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 31, 2018

Trump's weaponization of pardons for use in the culture war could be a big part of his legacy, writes @GrahamDavidA: https://t.co/FE0dB1mc0i

— TheAtlanticPolitics (@TheAtlPolitics) May 31, 2018

Ever the class act. https://t.co/6U4C7sjFro

— Neil King (@NKingofDC) May 31, 2018

Dinesh D'Souza forced to apologize for mocking Florida shooting survivors after massive backlash https://t.co/ztk39z3Xfc pic.twitter.com/9eL0742mO3

— The Hill (@thehill) February 22, 2018

The power to pardon is one of the president's most absolute powers. And it has certainly been used with politics in mind before (Marc Rich). But politically driven pardons now appear to becoming the norm. Something to pause and consider. pic.twitter.com/jG0ANOzUoq

— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) May 31, 2018

What's the pattern w/ pardoning Libby & D'Souza, floating Stewart & Blagojevich? Celebrity + white collar + undoing big wins by enemies (prosecutors were Comey, his lawyer Pat Fitzgerald, & fired SDNY US atty @PreetBharara). Who else fits? Maybe Conrad Black, another Fitz case…

— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) May 31, 2018

I know the two aren't connected – but I keep thinking back to the Texas woman who got five years for voting illegally. D’Souza, with his guilty plea of making illegal campaign contributions, faced a MAX of two years. https://t.co/j77UsAstOt

— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) May 31, 2018