CAL THOMAS COMMENTARY APRIL 12, 2025
WHATEVER YOU MAY THINK OF DONALD TRUMP, I AM BOTHERED BY THE PROSPECT OF A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BEING PUT ON TRIAL AND POSSIBLY SENTENCED TO PRISON. I RECALL THE HATERS OF RICHARD NIXON WHO WANTED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO HAPPEN TO HIM. PRESIDENT GERALD FORD PARDONED NIXON FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY AND LOST THE NEXT ELECTION TO JIMMY CARTER.
HATRED IS A POISON. THE PRECEDENT SET BY THESE TRIALS, THE FIRST OF WHICH BEGINS MONDAY IN NEW YORK, SETS A BAD PRECEDENT. IT ALSO INVITES TRUMP SUPPORTERS TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO CRIMINALLY DAMAGE OPPONENTS AS PAYBACK. WHAT IS THAT SAYING ABOUT REVENGE IS BEST SERVED COLD?
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS MORE LIKELY TO PARDON HIS SON HUNTER THAN HE IS TRUMP, WHOM HE CLEARLY HATES. THE NEW YORK CASE IS SAID TO BE THE WEAKEST OF ALL BECAUSE DEMOCRAT PROSECUTOR ALVIN BRAGG HAS RAISED WHAT IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES HAS BEEN MISDEMEANORS TO THE FELONY LEVEL AND JURORS FROM NEW YORK CITY ARE ALL LIKELY TO BE DEMOCRATS WHO VOTED FOR BIDEN IN THE LAST ELECTION.
GRANTED, TRUMP HAS GIVEN PROSECUTORS THE ROPE TO HANG HIM, BUT AS ANOTHER SAYING GOES: WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND. ANYONE WHO BELIEVES “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW” HASN’T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. I’M CAL THOMAS.
Like you, I am bothered by the idea of a former president being put on trial and possibly imprisoned, although as you mentioned Trump has given prosecutors enough rope to hang him. I am all for invoking the biblical precedent of 1 Kings 1 where David abdicated in favor of Solomon, who then promised clemency to Adonijah on the condition that Adonijah behave in the future. If Trump were to acknowledge the 2020 election as legitimate and promise to abide by the results of the 2024 election, by all means Biden should offer him clemency. Most Americans (except a few vengeance mongers) were content to let Nixon remain a private citizen and would feel the same towards Trump. However if Trump were to follow the example of Adonijah and continue scheming, a majority of Americans would prefer to send Trump to the Big House rather than the White House if it came to that.