Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Democratic Rep. James Clyburn has said he supports President Joe Biden pardoning Donald Trump.Special counsel Jack Smith filed to dismiss the two federal cases against President-elect Trump after he won back the White House in November. Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers have asked a judge to throw out his hush money criminal conviction in New York.Clyburn on CNN said he agrees with Senator Joe Manchin, an independent, about Biden pardoning Trump of the charges in the federal cases.”Well, I’ve said to people that I’m in that category as well. I did see what Manchin had to say,” he said on Laura Coates Live.”Remember that Trump has not been convicted of anything in the federal realm. Those convictions are state convictions. So, I’m not talking about state here. I’m talking about things that could impede our federal government, and so, I believe that Manchin may be onto something there.”Asked if he would support the pardon, Clyburn said: “Yes, I could, absolutely. Because the Supreme Court has pretty much made it very clear, that he is preemptively pardoned of anything he may do as president.”Newsweek has contacted the White house for comment via email outside of normal working hours.
Smith last week filed a motion to drop four felony counts against Trump for his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat to Biden. He also dropped an appeal of a judge’s dismissal of the separate federal classified documents case.Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution, but charges could be filed against Trump again after he leaves office.Manchin on Monday said that Biden should “go ahead and pardon Donald Trump” after he pardoned his son, Hunter Biden.Biden had previously said he would not pardon his son, but went back on that pledge on Sunday, sparing him a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions.Manchin told CNN’s Manu Raju that the pardon would complicate Biden’s legacy.
Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City. James Clyburn said he supports President Joe Biden pardoning Trump.
Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City. James Clyburn said he supports President Joe Biden pardoning Trump.
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“What I would have done differently and my recommendation as the counsel would have been, why don’t you go ahead and pardon Donald Trump for all his charges and make it you know, it would have gone down a lot more balanced, if you will,” he said.”I am just saying, wipe them out.”Manchin added that “rather than going through all these court cases and getting, you know, the president has to be the president for the next four years, fighting all these criminal and all this other stuff’s coming after him, just clean that slate up. Let’s get this behind us and move forward.”
