Donald Trump is on "an epic binge" of handing out presidential pardons, and a political commentator believes a disgraced ex-Senator could be next.
The president could be set to give a pardon to Bob Menendez, the Democrat Senator serving 11 years in prison for accepting bribes of gold and cash to act as an agent on behalf of Egypt. The 71-year-old ex-Senator started his stint in prison earlier this year but Trump, who has spoken positively about Menendez in the past, could step in. This comes according to The Bulwark, with Andrew Egger believing Trump could pardon the disgraced lawmaker.
It would not be the first pardon Trump has issued during his second term as president, with Egger noting the president has been trigger happy with who he released from prison. The Bulwark reporter wrote, "He’s [Trump] even undoing indictments that his own Justice Department is issuing: Last night, as we were finishing up this newsletter, Trump pardoned a real estate developer who was facing charges of corruptly rigging an arena-building bidding process at the University of Texas to favor his own company. The president is on an epic binge."
"Trump has issued pardons and clemency to January 6 rioters, to disgraced ex-congressman, and to anyone who seems willing to stuff the coffers of one of his political committees or family crypto businesses."
This stance on pardoning prisoners could reach Menendez too, with Egger asking just how long it will take before the ex-Senator has his sentence terminated.
Egger added, "Ultimately, this impulse to give clemency to bad people—something that every other president at least had the shame to wait to do until their last day in office—is rooted in what Weigel called Trump’s monomyth: 'that the justice system he's tangled with throughout his business and political careers is crooked, picking favorites and treating its enemies unfairly.'"
"Trump has remarkably few core beliefs, but this conviction is one, and one he holds deeply enough that corruption charges seem to improve his feelings about a politician rather than the opposite. If the system’s coming after them, they must be doing something right!"
"Which makes you wonder: How much longer is Trump going to make former senator and accused gold-bar aficionado Bob Menendez twist in the wind?"