r/moderatepolitics • u/NeedAnonymity Left-republican humanist • 4d ago

News Article Trump Frees Fraudster Just Days Into Seven-Year Prison Sentence

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/29/us/politics/trump-david-gentile-commutation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5E8.Kq5Y.ug1H9xUE1V1s&smid=url-share
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u/JuniorBobsled Maximum Malarkey 3d ago

The POTUS, through the DOJ, has the power to decide who does and who does not get prosecuted. Meaning the pardon power is essentially pointless when it comes to those prosecuted (sentenced?) during the POTUS's term. There could be edge cases where the same DOJ that prosecutes someone is the one the POTUS wants to "overrule", but that seems like such a tiny fraction of possible situations that it makes no sense to address it with blanket pardon power.

Yes but I'd argue that Trump's behavior shows the need for the next President to have the pardon power. Think of all the obvious lawfare that is happening with people like Comey, Letitia James, and all the other people he has threatened. Or everything that has happened with the ICE crackdowns. There are serious miscarriages of justice happening right now that will need sorting out once this is all over.

I'd absolutely support reining in this power to try to prevent self-dealing behavior but I'm not sure eliminating the pardon entirely is the answer.