“Show Grace” Lanny Davis Calls for Trump Pardon
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
In a surprising turn of events, Lanny Davis, the former lawyer of Michael Cohen—Donald Trump’s erstwhile fixer turned vehement enemy—has requested that Trump be pardoned. Writing for the conservative platform Real Clear Politics, Davis compared Trump to Hunter Biden, who was recently convicted of lying to purchase a firearm.
Biden’s crime, Davis argued, “Occurred in the middle of his addiction. It was not part of any planned criminal scheme.” Conversely, a New York jury found that Trump was involved in a broad conspiracy to conceal a payoff to a woman to silence her about a sexual relationship, which he feared could harm his election chances.
Despite these differences, Davis believes both men should receive pardons. “I was once angry with Gerald Ford when he pardoned Richard Nixon for his Watergate crimes days after assuming the presidency in 1974,” Davis confessed. “With the benefit of hindsight, I (and many leading historians) believe President Ford made the right decision.”
Ford famously declared, “Our long national nightmare is over,” as he handed Nixon the pardon. Davis contends that Ford understood the country would never “heal” as long as Nixon faced criminal prosecution.
Gallup polling from 1974 showed that about 38 percent of Americans supported Nixon’s pardon. The decision was so contentious that Ford, despite several successes during his presidency, never had a chance at re-election, according to a Gallup retrospect.
Davis argues that “Incarcerating Trump would undermine that message by making him a martyr to his followers.” He implored Biden to “show grace” to the former president “by announcing his support for a pardon and commutation for his opponent by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.”
For Hunter Biden, the message from his family has been consistent: “We believe in the rule of law.” However, Davis expressed hope that Trump would extend the same grace to Hunter Biden if he were to win in November.
Davis further argued that “announcing his support for a Trump pardon, Joe Biden will also be upholding another fundamental principle: that the most important decision in our Republic — the election of the president of the United States — should be decided at the ballot box and not in a courtroom.”
By calling for clemency, Davis aims to emphasize the importance of healing the nation and moving past the divisive nature of legal battles involving high-profile political figures. His plea highlights the ongoing debate about the intersection of justice, politics, and national unity.
