GOP candidates slammed for naive idea that Trump would 'slink away' if they pardoned him

As Nikki Haley's position in the 2024 race for president becomes more contentious, she's sending out messages that — while she thinks Donald Trump's behavior has been reckless — she'd be inclined to pardon him of any convictions if she's elected president.

At a campaign event Thursday, Haley was even more specific — saying she would outright pardon Trump because it would "be in the best interest of the country."

“What’s in the best interest of the country is not to have an 80-year-old man sitting in jail that continues to divide our country. What’s in the best interest of our country is to pardon him so that we can move on as a country and no longer talk about him," Haley said.

Also read: Flashback: These GOP senators suggested Trump could be criminally prosecuted after Jan. 6

Florida governor and Haley's fellow 2024 contender, Ron DeSantis, has echoed a similar position.

According to MSNBC's Steve Benen, the problem with such rhetoric is that Haley is mistaken if she thinks a pardon for Trump will cause Americans to stop talking about him.

"It’s not as if he would simply slink away to Mar-a-Lago, with a Haley-endorsed pardon in hand, to enjoy retirement," Benen wrote.

He added that waiving any convictions would be a dangerous precedent to set.

"The idea that it’s “in the country’s interest” to simply let a suspected felon get away with dangerous and unprecedented alleged crimes is highly debatable," he wrote.

"The more future presidents are told they’ll be pardoned for serious felonies, creating an accountability-free dynamic, the less they’ll be restrained."

Benen adds that he is struck by the fact that serious contenders for the presidency are even considering such scenarios.

"That’s generally because, as a rule, those charged with multiple felonies don’t seek the presidency."