Ron DeSantis is still willing to pardon Donald Trump for 37 counts involving charges of espionage and illegal document retention.
During an interview on the “700 Club” Friday, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate framed the potential pardons as a response to the so-called “weaponization” of the federal government.
“I’m going to end the weaponization. And part of ending the weaponization is, yes, we’re going to clean house,” DeSantis said, referring to sweeping changes at the FBI and Department of Justice.
“But part of it is using your Article 2 powers to redress wrongs, including, potentially, pardons. And so we said even before this happened with Trump, you know, we’ll have people who have been wronged before we come into office apply. We’re going to look if there is a different standard, we’re going to be very inclined to grant clemency in those situations.”
Previously, on an episode of “Clay and Buck,” DeSantis floated “Day 1” pardons of not only Trump, but the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an ill-fated attempt to stop the certification of the Presidential Election.
“The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation have been weaponized. We see that in a variety of contexts,” DeSantis argued. “And so, what I’m going to do is, on Day 1, I will have folks that will get together and look at all these cases (where) people are victims of weaponization or political targeting and we will be aggressive at issuing pardons.”
The seeming concern for Trump’s legal woes notwithstanding, Trump promised earlier this week to “finish the task” and stay on the attack against the Florida Governor in the 2024 Primaries.
“Well, we’ve got to finish the task. We want to win, and we want to turn the country around. We want to make America great again,” Trump told Simon Conway on WHO Radio.
“So, we have one race right before us. Now that’s a Primary and then we have the General Election and we’re leading both by a lot and, someday maybe (we’ll) ease up a little bit,” Trump said cryptically.
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