By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The former President, Donald Trump, pardoned members of his 2020 campaign legal team, including Rudy Giuliani, Kenneth Chesebro, and Sydney Powell, for their involvement in an attempt to alter election results. This announcement came late on Sunday, likely to be buried in the news cycle. These individuals were part of the “fake elector” scheme, aimed at overturning the election outcome in favor of Trump. Notably, the announcement pointedly indicated that Trump did not pardon himself.
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Pardoning your co-conspirators. It’s almost predictable at this point, isn’t it? The news that Trump has pardoned Rudy Giuliani, Sydney Powell, and a host of others tangled up in the fake elector scheme isn’t shocking; it’s practically par for the course. It’s a move that reeks of an administration prioritizing loyalty to its own, even when that loyalty comes at the expense of justice and the very principles of the democratic process.
This is a clear, blaring signal, a message sent directly to anyone considering playing fast and loose with future elections on Trump’s behalf. It’s a promise, however implicit, that any potential future crimes – whether committed by poll workers, individuals within law enforcement, or even legal professionals – will be met with a presidential pardon. It’s a blatant abuse of power, a corrupt maneuver timed to coincide with other pressing issues, hoping to bury this act of impunity under the weight of other news cycles.
The timing of these pardons, revealed on a Sunday night, speaks volumes. It’s a calculated move, designed to minimize the impact of the coverage, to slip this act of corruption through the cracks while everyone is focused on something else. It’s cynical, but then again, that’s what we’ve come to expect. While some may feel a sense of relief for those pardoned, concerned they may not receive forgiveness, the act itself is a slap in the face to the notion of justice.
However, the silver lining is that the pardons are unlikely to be effective in many cases, as many of these investigations and possible charges are at the state level. The federal pardons may be useless. They’re a symbolic gesture that exposes the administration’s true priorities.
Furthermore, this is a message, a carefully crafted piece of propaganda designed to maintain the support of the base by portraying Trump as someone “owning the libs”. They will be painted as victims of a political witch hunt. This allows Trump to maintain his power.
The scope of this act is alarming. Rudy Giuliani, Sydney Powell, Boris Epshteyn, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, and over seventy others are now free from federal consequences for their alleged actions in the fake elector scheme. The blatant disregard for the rule of law is astonishing. The idea that someone can simply circumvent the legal process to protect themselves and their allies is truly troubling.
This is further compounded by the bizarre appointments made within the administration. The fact that many appointees are unqualified for the positions they hold, and in some cases, even actively harmful to the missions they are supposed to serve, only adds insult to injury. People seem to get positions to be silenced or in a twisted form of payback. It’s as if competence is secondary to fealty.
The expectation of future pardons for other figures, like Ghislaine Maxwell, is a grim reminder of how the scales of justice seem to be tipped in favor of those with power and influence. It feeds the perception that the rules simply don’t apply to those in Trump’s orbit.
How many will be willing to manipulate the next election in exchange for a pardon. This is the danger this act presents to democracy. The message is clear: break the law, help the cause, and you’ll be protected. It’s a perversion of the pardon power, transforming it from a tool of mercy into a shield for criminal activity.
There is also the question of guilt. If you accept a pardon, you’re essentially admitting guilt. These individuals are now, by definition, admitting to crimes against the election process. It’s a stark reminder that even as they walk free, their culpability remains.
It’s hard to ignore the broader context: Trump has seemingly debased the Republican Party, and the only principle left seems to be racism. We can only imagine what the next moves will be.
Ultimately, this latest act of executive overreach serves as a stark reminder of the depth of the corruption and the lengths to which this administration will go to protect its own. It’s a call to action, a reminder that the fight for democracy requires constant vigilance and unwavering commitment to the principles of justice and accountability. It’s an urgent reminder that these are not ordinary times.