FIRST ON FOX: GOP presidential candidate Larry Elder responded to his Republican primary opponent Vivek Ramaswamy’s challenge to commit to pardoning former President Trump if elected with his own challenge targeting “Soros-funded” district attorneys.
Ramaswamy pledged on Tuesday to pardon Trump if elected president and called on each other primary campaign to vow to do the same.
Elder told Fox News Digital that he would not sign Ramaswamy’s pledge to pardon Trump, saying he is “not running for President to play silly games and respond to every candidate’s demands.”
RAMASWAMY PLEDGES TO PARDON TRUMP IF ELECTED, CHALLENGES OPPONENTS TO MAKE SAME VOW
“As President I would instruct my Attorney General to drop the politically-motivated charges against Trump,” Elder said.
“I can tell you that it is deeply disturbing that Hillary Clinton was not charged for her blatant violation of the Espionage Act when she destroyed her private email server,” the California Republican continued. “And why is the special counsel investigation into [President] Biden’s mishandling of classified documents taking so much longer than the investigation of Trump?”
“The politicization of the criminal justice system in this country is appalling, and the partisan prosecution of Donald Trump is just one example,” Elder continued.
Elder said a “huge problem is the Soros-funded prosecutors throughout the country who are refusing to do their job and enforce the law.”
“That’s why this Thursday in Iowa I’ll be unveiling legislation to allow for the removal of weak-on-crime County Attorneys who are endangering law abiding citizens,” Elder said. “I hope Vivek will join me in supporting this anti-Soros, pro-safety measure. Hopefully his reported former ties to Soros will not prevent him from doing so.”
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s campaign told Fox News Digital that they “have no comment on any Initiative which comes from Republican primary candidates.”
Ramaswamy campaign spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital: “Got it. We’ll count Larry and RFK as a ‘no.’”
During a Monday press conference at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami, Florida, Ramaswamy said that, if he is elected president, he would pardon Trump for his federal charges.
Trump was arraigned Tuesday after a federal grand jury indicted him Friday on 37 felony charges related to his retention of sensitive documents. Trump’s indictment has led to calls for Special Counsel Robert Hur to bring similar charges against Biden.
Ramaswamy filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request this week seeking communication between the White House and the Justice Department concerning the second indictment of Trump.