Scrutinizing Trump’s Controversial Final-Day Pardon on MSNBC
On an insightful Monday evening, MSNBC host Jen Psaki turned the spotlight on a compelling report from The New York Times. This examination shed light on a perplexing and deeply concerning act of clemency by Donald Trump during his last moments occupying the Oval Office in 2021.
The Startling Investigation by The New York Times
As per the investigative piece unveiled over the weekend by the Times, the commutation story of Jonathan Braun—a convicted drug smuggler—is even more intricate and consequential than previously assumed. Initially,
Jonathan Braun was serving a significant portion of his 10-year sentence when Trump’s decision came into play. Notably, beyond drug-related charges, Braun had the Justice Department on his tail for allegedly exploiting small businesses through predatory lending.
The Impact of Trump’s Last-Minute Commutation
On the day that marked the end of his term, Trump engaged in a sweeping act of leniency, granting pardons and commutations to over 140 individuals. Braun’s controversial sentence reduction was among them. Reports suggest that within a mere few months, Braun was back in business, reverting to his loan sharking practices.
Connections and Clemency: The Kushner Ties
Delving deeper, the Times points to Braun’s familial connection to Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and erstwhile senior White House adviser. Allegedly, this relationship played a pivotal role in securing Braun’s abrupt freedom.
The Justice Department’s Derailed Investigation
This unforeseen clemency not only set Braun free but also torpedoed a vital Justice Department criminal probe into predatory lending. Prosecutors, who had been conversing with Braun in hopes of flipping him against other industry culprits, were blindsided. This meticulously negotiated agreement crumbled the moment Braun was released.
The Consequences of Executive Pardon Power
Confronting this bewildering scenario, Psaki, who has experience as a White House press secretary under President Joe Biden, analyzed the revealing insights on her show “Inside With Jen Psaki.”
“What does this all tell us?” Psaki inquired rhetorically. The narrative constructed around ‘tough on crime’ Donald Trump evidently clashed with this particular act, which disastrously undermined an ongoing federal investigation—one initiated by his administration’s Justice Department. “That’s not how it’s supposed to work,” Psaki rightly pointed out.
Furthermore, Psaki elucidated the lax approach to presidential pardons showcasing the Trump administration’s flagrant disregard for the traditionally rigorous vetting process typically orchestrated by the Department of Justice.
A Stark Warning and Dictatorial Maxims
Psaki invoked a foreboding maxim often associated with authoritarian governance: “For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.” This phrase somberly encapsulated the selective magnanimity that appeared to drive the Trump administration’s pardon decisions.
She concluded with a succinct caveat concerning Trump’s past and potential future conduct: “That is how Donald Trump has operated. And that is how he will continue to operate if he ever gets the leverage of government again.”
