Rep. Dean Phillips, a Democratic congressman from Minnesota, is making headlines for an unexpected statement he made Friday calling on New York Governor Kathy Hochul to pardon former President Donald Trump.
After Trump’s conviction in the Manhattan hush-money trial, Phillips argued that a pardon would be “for the good of the country” and would prevent energizing Trump’s base ahead of the 2024 election.
Many are outraged at Phillips’ suggestion, labeling it as a foolish move and a potential threat to the rule of law. However, the Democratic congressman doubled down on his argument on Saturday, tweeting that making Trump a “martyr” over a payment to a porn star is “stupid” and will only result in an electoral boost for Trump.
You think pardoning is stupid?
Making him a martyr over a payment to a porn star is stupid. (Election charges are entirely different.)
It’s energizing his base, generating record sums of campaign cash, and will likely result in an electoral boost.
— Dean Phillips (@deanbphillips) June 1, 2024
While Phillips may believe that a pardon from a Democratic governor is unlikely, he fails to acknowledge that there are other avenues for Trump to challenge his conviction. Legal experts, including Jonathan Turley from George Washington University Law School, believe that the conviction will be overturned, and constitutional arguments may be made that Trump’s right to a fair trial was violated.
“Indeed, moments like this require us to take a leap of faith in a nation that remains committed to the rule of law. Manhattan is neither the entirety of the country nor the legal system. I believe that these convictions will be overturned, but it will take time,” Turley wrote. “Judge Merchan committed, in my view, layers of reversible error. Eventually, this case may reach the United States Supreme Court.”
Roger Severino, an attorney and Heritage fellow, also points out that the Constitution protects against jailing political opponents simply because one doesn’t like their political views.
The left is determined to go after Trump at any cost, even if it means throwing the rule of law out the window. Trump’s legal team has already stated that they will appeal the conviction, which must come after sentencing. This is scheduled for July 11, just days before the start of the Republican National Convention.
One must question the motives behind the rush to convict Trump and the timing of his sentencing. Is this all a ploy to sabotage his potential presidential run in 2024? Phillips and the Democrats might think they are being clever, but their actions only further divide the country and show their lack of respect for the rule of law.
The truth is Trump’s conviction will only energize his base, which has already generated record campaign cash for the Republican party. Whether you love him or hate him, Trump has a large following and has been a significant force in American politics. Instead of trying to silence him, the Democrats should focus on building their own strong platforms and candidates to run against him in 2024.
It’s time for the Democrats to accept that Trump is not going away and that their desperate attempts to discredit and punish him are only making him stronger. A pardon from Hochul may not be necessary, as there are other legal avenues for Trump to challenge his conviction. But one thing is for sure: Democrats cannot keep using Trump as their scapegoat and must start focusing on the issues that truly matter to the American people.
