Ex-President Donald Trump could try to pardon himself if he gets re-elected as the President in the upcoming 2024 US elections, Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson predicts.
The former governor is also running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, along with other contenders, ex-Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, apart from Trump.
Donald Trump Likely to Pardon Himself if Re-Elected President
According to NBC News, the former President is grappling with 37 felony counts, such as conspiracy to obstruct and willful retention of national defense information and making false statements. A federal jury has already indicted Trump after allegedly misleading the authorities to keep classified documents to himself.
His indictment disclosed that the authorities recovered more than 100 classified documents from the Mar-a-Lago estate of Trump in Florida last year.
But despite that, the former President of the United States (POTUS) pleaded not guilty to all these charges, stressing that he did not make these accusations. Furthermore, Trump dismisses these cases against him as a politically motivated move by President Joe Biden, which the latter has vehemently denied.
And now, the former Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson predicts that Trump is likely to try to pardon himself if he wins his potential re-election bid in 2024. Hutchinson told ABC News in an interview with "This Week" that "I could certainly see Donald Trump doing that." He notes, "That's exactly what he would intend if he got elected president."
The former Arkansas governor adds he is "doubtful" of the possible move, noting that he believes it is not what the "Constitution intends in giving the president the pardon power." He further dubs such a move as "inappropriate."
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Ex-VP Mike Pence Refuse to Answer Questions About Trump's Pardon
As Newsweek reports, the former VP Pence dodged questions on Sunday, June 18, asking if he would grant Trump a pardon if he wins the 2024 presidential elections.
Instead, he believes the question about Trump's pardon is still "premature." He finds it puzzling why competitors within the Republican primary assume that the former President will face the guilty verdict.
It is worth noting that before receiving any pardon, Trump would first have to be convicted for allegedly mishandling classified documents. As per a report by The Hill, the ex-POTUS, the consistent frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, enjoys support from Americans in receiving a pardon if convicted over classified documents issue.
A recent Harvard CAPS-Harris poll notes that most respondents, including 30 percent Democrats and 80 percent Republicans, say they would support pardoning Trump. Roughly 53 percent support the pardon of the former President in the name of "unity."
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