Transcription
The Trump administration considers pardoning 250 people to celebrate America's 250th birthday because fireworks are exciting, but not as much as corruption. This is just another day. Even though America's 250th birthday is just around the corner, the Trump administration is still finding new and exciting ways to celebrate.
President Trump may soon expand his already sweeping use of presidential pardon powers to celebrate America's birthday. The Wall Street Journal reports White House officials are considering plans to issue 250 pardons to mark the country's milestone birthday.
That's right. To commemorate the founding of our great democracy built upon the desire to separate ourselves from a lone tyrannical leader, our lone tyrannical leader is now toying with granting 250 pardons to celebrate America 250. So to all those people who were complaining that our government didn't function more like a mattress store on a holiday weekend, you're welcome. Yes, I guess there was just something about the one ride at our great American state fair coupled with a concert being replaced by a presidential monologue about pharmaceutical prices on drug prices. We are delivering the largest.
That just didn't feel celebratory enough. But I mean, my god, 250 pardons. I'll tell you who I feel bad for, the 2501st person. Can you even imagine getting turned away by Trump after he issues an oceans's worth of pardons? That's like not making the cut in a 1,000 person gang bang. So I've heard. And are we even getting a list of the 250 people being given this totally earned clemency? Or is it just kind of the thing where we look up at the sky during the fireworks to learn that Donald Trump pardoned Galain Maxwell. among the list being discussed and at a quite high level. Those include the Malaysian fugitive Joe Low who uh had been is on the run and facing charges regarding um laundering and stealing billions of dollars. The Fuji's rapper pros who uh was in um charged in a similar but related case for an influence campaign. And then the third is a uh one of the co-founders of the one taste orgasmic meditation company.
Excuse the pun, but come again.
A company in San Francisco compared by prosecutors to a sex cult is looking to court Trump allies and influencers as it looks to pardon its two convicted leaders.
This group is now employing some sort of back channel um protocol and an elaborate protocol to try to get that pardon. essentially trying to get to people who are close to President Trump. So, we're talking about other political operatives, um, attorneys and media figures who are close to Trump's inner circle to try to get some favor.
Well, I think we know what this means. If getting a pardon and getting out of jail for these sex cult leaders comes down to doing certain favors for certain people in Donald Trump's inner circle, I believe that's what's known in the legal system as a hard pass. I mean, what is the point of being free if what you did or who you did to get there makes you a prisoner of your own mind? Now, I will acknowledge that Donald Trump is not the only president to abuse his pardon power. Bill Clinton famously pardoned the finance year of Mark Rich. Joe Biden preemptively pardoned his whole family, including his own son, Hunter. And not that it excuses it at all, but what dad wouldn't do anything for his own son? Okay, don't answer that. But when it comes to abusing pardons, Donald Trump is an all-time great. He is the Jaylen Brunson of pardoners. And here's how you know that.
President Trump taps a Midsouth woman to a newly named position in his administration. He announced today Alice Marie Johnson of Memphis will be his new pardon zar.
If you are issuing so many pardons that you need a pardon zar, I think you might be overreaching. Sort of like how if you're Lauren Boowart and you need a wrist brace to attend Broadway shows, I think you also might be overreaching. But thanks to the rumors around these 250 pardons, everyone is coming out of the woodwork thinking that they've got a shot at being next.
That message has set off a frenzy where everyone is trying. You know, I spoke to so many attorneys who said, "I'm exhausted. I've had to turn off my phone because there are so many people who think that this is an option." I guess the joke's on them because if they were smart enough to have purchased a Trump mobile phone, they wouldn't have to turn it off because their phone wouldn't work anyway. But this is just what happens when everybody knows you are a payfor-play white house. According to The Atlantic, a prominent white collar defense attorney told the reporter, "It is general knowledge in our practice that for $2 million you can have a pardon." But when asked to respond, White House press secretary Caroline Levit said that the president finds it detestable that anyone would even attempt to profit off pardons. Right? Because you don't profit off pardons. That's what the presidency is for.
But today, the New York Times editorial board published an estimate of just how much they've rad in over the past 12 months. By their accounting, it's at least $1.4 billion.
I know this isn't the point, but one would think that for a man who has made $1.4 billion off the presidency, he could at least spring for a second ferris wheel. The reality is commemorating the 250th year of our democracy by taking a presidential action that upends our democracy just because it has the number 250 attached to it is insane. It's what a child would do. I mean, what else could Trump possibly throw this 250 next to? We also have reporting in the book uh that Donald Trump has told senior advisers in the Oval Office that he's going to pardon anyone who came within 250 ft of the Oval Office. Yes, I can't wait to hear Donald Trump's next press conference where he informs the nation that at exactly 2:50 p.m., America dropped 250 bombs on 250 other countries and all of them have vowed to give us $250 million each. And they say this guy isn't a branding genius. It is so obvious that if you are a supporter of this president, you can do whatever you want knowing that for the right price or the right amount of punches and kicks delivered to the heads of our capital police, you will get off scot-free. Donald Trump does not care about rooting out fraud and corruption because if he did, he wouldn't constantly pardon his corrupt wealthy donors. Trump pardoned the founder of Nicola as a thank you for donating almost $2 million to his re-election campaign. He pardoned venture capital investor and fellow major donor Ahmad Zubberry. He pardoned Paul Walzac, a wealthy tax sheet, after Walszac's mom attended a fundraiser at Mara Lago. And he pardoned former CEO of Binance, whose company was found guilty of moneyaundering. All those wealthy criminals get a pass and conservatives just look the other way, but when criminals have slightly less income to donate to a presidency,
it may sound technical. It may sound like it's semantics, there is a very big distinction between a chokehold and a headlock.
So, this happened 5 years ago and you had Eric Garner selling cigarettes in front of a convenience store and they said, "Can the store owner said, "Can you get him out of the way? He keeps doing this and it's hurting our sales, hurting our business." and he wouldn't move and he ends up with five guys around him getting getting choked to death. And famously he said, "I can't breathe."
And the simple thing right here is, and even Commissioner O'Neal said it yesterday, comply. Just don't fight. Don't resist.
See, it's just that simple. If you get choked out by law enforcement for being a black man selling loose cigarettes outside of a bodega in New York, that's your fault for not complying. But if you get arrested for billions worth of tax fraud, well, that's our fault for daring to hold tax cheats accountable. Time and time again, Donald Trump has shown how little he cares about our justice system. His entire presidency is nothing more than a grift, a profitgenerating endeavor. And if you're one of his supporters who, like him, also likes to dabble in stealing from the government for the right price, you might just be rewarded with a get out of jail free card.
There are so many people who think that this is an option. Gee, I wonder why. Before you go, I'm very excited to announce that I've written a new book titled The Day After: How to Wield Power in a PostTrump World. The book explores what is, in my opinion, the single most important theme that we're dealing with in politics today and moving forward. Power. Specifically, how Republicans abuse it and how Democrats refuse to wield it. This book explains how we got here and more importantly, how we should finally wield power if we're fortunate enough to get it back. It is the blueprint for progressives who want to do far more than just restore the status quo. Please pre-order today by visiting the link in the episode description or go to brianetylcohen.com/book. You can grab yours from any of the major retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble or find an independent bookstore closest to you that's also listed on that website. Thanks so much for supporting Independent Media.