Why Autocrats Love Pardons
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s pardon of Jan. 6 participants, I am reprinting my 2022 essay about how autocrats use pardons. It is sadly relevant, including the way it ends: “Authoritarianism is about making government a safe harbor for criminals, and pardons are part of that. Don't be surprised if an amnesty in the autocratic tradition kicks off Trump's second term.”
Thank you for the excellent interview with Jennifer Rubin at The Contrarian.
Ruth, your prediction that trump would pardon as many J6 insurrectionists as possible if he got the chance has turned out to be 100% correct.