If Kamala Harris wins the presidency, she must pardon Donald Trump… and the Democratic party must remain unified and back this decision. Yes, like many, I am more than tired of constantly hearing about Trump, and I thought we would have a little reprieve after he lost in 2020. However, I think I heard about him even more in the past 4 years than I did during his presidency. But the decision to pardon Trump is about more than sparing the populace from having to constantly be reminded of him. It is about unifying the country.
Biden ran “not to divide but to unify” and Harris should continue to pursue that mission. Not only would that be the right thing to do for the country, but it may even help her get elected. Harris should come out and say she would pardon Trump before the general election begins. This will win over some swing voters who feel Trump has been politically persecuted and those who simply just want a return from chaos.
As an added bonus, the decision to pardon Trump could be used to bring his past presidential pardons and commutations into the spotlight. There is an endless amount of actions and words from Trump’s presidency that can be used against him, but his clemency record could be especially potent. For starters, it plays into the image of “Trump The Criminal”, something Kamala Harris wasted no time to do herself. It also helps Harris build up the dichotomy between the two and play into another one of her important campaign images: “Kamala The Cop”.
This move would not come without precedent. Gerald Ford infamously ruined his own chances at getting re-elected by pardoning Nixon in 1974. However, as time moved on and folks had longer to reflect on that decision, it gained more popularity. The political climate is obviously different now, and as the country faces an unprecedented amount of division, I don’t think it would take long at all for people to see the decision to pardon Trump as a necessary step toward unity.
