Pardon Me

The presidential power of pardon is in Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution: he "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." This has often been used in the lame duck portion of a president's term, when they're halfway out the door.

But of course Donald Trump has used it differently, for strictly political purposes and as if it were a rule in a game--"Olly Olly Oxen Free!" His list of pardoned is quite a rogue's gallery. But he suffers no repercussions from his base. It's a wonder he didn't pardon Charles Manson before he died.

The latest outrageous pardon is to Dwight and Steve Hammond, ranchers who set fire to federal land. It was a heinous crime that inspired the Bundy stand-off, in which men who were interested only for their own purposes pointed guns at law enforcement officials, yet were cheered by the right.

Before that, there was the pardon of Joe Arpaio, one of the most despicable men in the nation (who is of course running for the Republican nominations for Arizona senator). Arpaio was convicted of contempt of court, and was awaiting sentencing, when Trump waved his pardon wand. Arpaio, who was irrationally hostile to Mexican immigrants, put them in camps and withheld medical treatment, even for a woman having a miscarriage.

Trump also pardoned Dinesh D'Souza, a piece of human garbage that masquerades as a conservative intellectual. First gaining infamy for his participation in the founding of The Dartmouth Review, a reactionary college newspaper, he has gone on to make right-wing propaganda films. He has made some vile statements, such as when a gun law in Florida wasn't passed, despite the importuning of the students from Douglas High School. "Adults 1, kids 0," he said, as if the shooting of children in schools were a rugby match. He was convicted of breaking campaign finance laws and served time in a halfway house.

Trump has made pardons that are humane; he pardoned heavyweight champion Jack Johnson of violating the Mann Act. Of course, Johnson died in 1946. It is surmised that Trump did it to curry favor with the black community without any outrage resulting from his white base.

Surely Trump is interested in whether a president can pardon himself. This is doubtful, since it would mean a person being a judge in their own case, which violates all forms of legal jurisprudence. Also, note the words: "except in cases of impeachment." This surely can be interpreted that a president can not overturn an impeachment of a federal official, such as a judge. Or a president himself.