Mike Memoli, NBC news: Yang told me he'd consider pardoning Trump.

[pnwmom]

Link to tweet

Mike Memoli
✔
@mikememoli
Yang told me after the last debate that he would consider pardoning Trump

[samnsara]

1. good luck with those state charges...

[Sloumeau]

4. samnsara, you have an excellent point! :)

In addition, if Yang actually said that, I think a lot of people would rule him out as President.

[dewsgirl]

11. Indeed

[bitterross]

2. That's a good reason not to vote for him.

I'm sick and tired of the Democrats doing shit like that "For the good of the country." Turns out, it only makes things worse in the long run. We need to deal with these people the same way they'd deal with a Democratic President. We need to prosecute them to the fullest and make an example out of them. THAT would be for the good of the country!

[PatSeg]

15. Yes

I've seen this movie before. Now we know not holding public officials accountable just gives them or others permission to abuse power and break laws.

"My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over." If Gerald Ford could see where we are today, I wonder if he'd still believe that.

[SCantiGOP]

30. Ford was wrong, and I was wrong

I despised Nixon, but thought the pardon was the best thing at the time.
Big mistake. If Nixon had been convicted, I don’t think Bush/Cheney would have lied us into war, and I don’t think Trump would attempt most of his crime spree.

[PatSeg]

37. I agree

People are held accountable for very minor crimes, some that often hurt no one, yet crimes that affect millions of people and the future of our democracy are often given a slap on the wrist. So many of the players from Watergate and later Iran-Contra have come back time and time again to cause chaos and mock our democratic process.

[TexasTowelie]

3. Yang is quickly moving into the

disqualifying category for me. Pelosi and Obama were criticized by some for not holding the Bush administration responsible for their war crimes. Anybody willing to let Trump & Co. for subverting democracy off the hook doesn't warrant my admiration or vote.

ETA: I did not intend to bash either Pelosi or Obama with that statement. The criticism of both came from the left side of the party, I cannot fathom while people on the left side of the party would be willing to give Trump a free pass.

[Sloumeau]

5. Yes, but at least Pelosi and Obama had some excuse.

Because a whole bunch of Democrats voted for the Iraq War, and because it might be really hard to tie the false information about Iraq to Bush, as it was to tie Iran-Contra to Reagan, an Iraq War investigation might have gone nowhere. In the case of Trump, there was a ton of corroboration. Not to go after him would be like not charging someone with murder when they did it right in front of you.

[TexasTowelie]

6. Agreed, I was not intending to bash either bash either Pelosi or Obama with my earlier statement.

[Sloumeau]

8. I understand. I noticed that what you said was carefully worded in a good way.

I was just expanding upon the discussion.

[lastlib]

7. USS Andrew Yang going down with all hands......

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[Destro]

41. He's Tulsi 2.0

So to speak

[barbtries]

9. i want to hear that from Yang

if true, deal buster.

[W_HAMILTON]

34. His actual comments were quoted in a subsequent tweet and they are even worse than what was reported

Andrew Yang said he does not think Trump should be facing criminal charges and would consider pardoning Trump if he were in fact prosecuted.

"We do not want to be a country that gets in the pattern of jailing past leaders," Yang said, adding that "there's a reason why Ford pardoned Nixon."

"I'd actually go a step further and say not just, hey, it's up to my [Attorney General]. I would say that the country needs to start solving the problems on the ground and move forward."

"Would you consider a pardon then?" NBC News asked.

"I would," Yang said.

Taken from: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/live-blog/nov-20-democratic-debate-live-updates-n1087226/ncrd1088231#liveBlogHeader

[barbtries]

35. well.

i wasn't going to vote for him anyway but WTF

[MFM008]

10. Is he still

In the race....

[TidalWave46]

12. Yang will never have the opportunity to consider such a thing. NT

[bucolic_frolic]

13. The record on deposed criminal leaders is all over the map

Idi Ami, Pappa Doc, Ferdinand, Cseaucseau or however you spells it. Many go into exile and live our their days in calm and luxury, some are pardoned, a few convicted, of course some worse than all that.

If they're not going to be above the law, they should start applying the same laws as they apply to everyone else. But uneven justice, discretionary enforcement is rampant everywhere with laws, which I think a travesty that should be addressed. A traffic violation should be treated the same everywhere, but one guy gets off, another they throw the book at him.

A friend got a traffic ticket for going more than 15 or 20 miles over the speed limit. The jurisdiction would not accept payment by mail or in person. He had to go to court, in the jurisdiction, more than 100 miles away, and sit all day with like violators. The judge called the cases together, pronounced them all guilty, and please pay at the door. I guess it's a message to stop speeding, but it sure isn't a very friendly face of government.

[MrsCoffee]

14. Disqualifying.

[Joe941]

21. +1

[redqueen]

16. But it's ok for all the other presidents to let each other off the hook for all their war crimes.

That's a good look that will be sure to inspire lots of non Dems to vote for our candidate.

[Mr.Bill]

27. No, it's not okay. n/t

[barbtries]

36. it was never okay.

if all past presidents - in my lifetime, Nixon, Reagan, Bushes 1 and 2, had faced actual consequences for their crimes trump never could have happened.
multiplying wrongs does not make a right.

[OliverQ]

17. This is absolutely disqualifying for me.

It's one of the reasons I don't like Biden either. I don't think Biden will hold Trump and his minions accountable, I think he'll call for "healing" and let them all get away with their crimes.

We can't keep allowing Presidents to get away with anything with promises of pardons. The cycle has to stop.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

25. Yeah

Pardon for trump is a big deal breaker for me.
I'll stick with Warren and Sanders,myself.

[peggysue2]

18. Yang really needs to explain that comment.

Because the vast majority of Democrats would absolutely reject a pardon for the Trumpster. As for impeachment? I'm listening off and on, trying to stay informed. But I'm not obsessed with what the House is doing.

Btw, those who are staying informed--whatever the level--are demonstrating an important civic duty. We're watching and listening in the moment but we're also witnessing history being made.

A pardon for Trump would make a mockery of all pardons. In the same way Bevin (losing Governor) in Kentucky has done with his power of the pardon releasing violent criminals into the population.

Yang needs to retract.

[scheming daemons]

20. Yang is trying to win over Tulsi's supporters.... and it is a bad look

Pardoning Trump is a deal-breaker.

He can't be the nominee.

[Cha]

33. It kinda looks that way with this

news.. who in the hell would "pardon trump"?.. except gabbard.. but now we have Yang saying.

Fortunately I don't think either one is going to get the chance.

[Cha]

22. That's ridiculous.

[W_HAMILTON]

23. Welp, we've probably seen the last of him.

He just barely made this last debate and -- now that the requirements have been made even more stringent -- he was facing an uphill climb to make it to the next debate. If these comments are true and he doesn't try to walk them back, he's finished as a candidate. Democrats will turn on him and there aren't enough conservatives out there to carry his campaign much further -- just ask Tulsky.

Never go full Gabbard.

[dalton99a]

24. Fuck NO.

[njhoneybadger]

26. Oh No You Didn't

[RockRaven]

28. Welcome to Gabbard-land, Yang.

Bye, Felicia.

[captain queeg]

29. If he really said this, adios

[nini]

31. Didn't he also say we're concentrating too much on impeachment?

He must not take our democracy seriously.

He needs to find another hobby.

[Eliot Rosewater]

43. That approach he is taking is worrying about what color to paint the kitchen IF you get

the fire out that is raging in the kitchen.

[Bhurel]

32. I'm not surprised

[rogue emissary]

38. K&R

[pnwmom]

40. The charges against Trump are justified by a mountain of evidence,

including testimony by people he appointed.

[Eliot Rosewater]

42. sigh

damn I am tired of being right